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NASHVILLE (WTVF) — The Grand Ole Opry became the center of grief and celebration Tuesday as artists honored Dolly Parton, whose connection to the historic Nashville stage spanned more than six decades.
Some goodbyes happened on stage. Others happened behind the curtain with family, friends, and fans.
Rhonda Vincent’s tribute to Parton was both.
“It said, Hi, this is Dolly Parton, and I want you to come to Nashville and sing with me. I thought it was a prank call, but I called the number back. Sure enough, it was her,” Vincent said.
Vincent first recorded harmonies for Parton’s album in 1992 — the beginning of making music and memories.
“I’m like, Oh my goodness, you just have your makeup in a Ziploc. She goes, I have all these wonderful bags. And she says, I can’t find anything. But she pulled out a Ziploc bag. To this day I carry my makeup in a Ziploc bag thanks to Dolly,” Vincent said.
In 2001, when Vincent had a life-threatening illness, she felt Parton’s heart.
“When I got out of the hospital, she was standing in my living room in Green Top, Missouri, and I just, I couldn’t believe it, and I just started crying, and I said, she said, I had to come make sure you were okay myself,” Vincent said.
It was that exact kindness that drew fans to honor Parton before Tuesday’s show.
“She was an example of how we all should really treat people,” one fan said.
Parton’s Opry story began in 1959 when she was just 13. Johnny Cash introduced the young girl from East Tennessee that night. Ten years later, she became an Opry member in the late 1960s. She called the place “the Mother Church” and “the church of her heart.”
In January, the Opry celebrated her 80th birthday with “Opry Goes Dolly.” Stars like Lainey Wilson honored her legacy. Though Parton couldn’t attend after announcing her health issues, she sent video wishes saying some of her favorite memories happened at the Opry.
The Opry played her music as fans came by with tears and flowers to remember her.
“Oh, this meant the world to her, all her fans and the families that came to see her, and I know she’s been on that stage multiple times, and the music just resonates with everybody and some way or another it’s just so sad,” one fan said.
Vincent wants fans to carry on Parton’s spirit of generosity.
“She is generous beyond anything we can ever imagine. I mean, things that people don’t even know about, and she’s just so generous and so, people say, ‘What is Dolly Parton really like?’ And I always tell them, she is everything you ever thought she was. She’s what you see is what you get,” Vincent said.
The Opry announced it will honor Parton with a special tribute show this Saturday.
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