On February 8th, The Recording Academy™ and MusiCares® paid tribute to living legend Dolly Parton at the annual MusiCares for her significant creative accomplishments and longtime support of many charitable causes. The event, hosted by Little Big Town, raised approximately $6.7 million for MusiCares, which provides essential support for people in the music industry who turn to the organization for financial, medical and personal assistance. The MusiCares Person of the Year tribute is one of the most prestigious events held during GRAMMY Week!
The night launched with a fierce performance by P!NK, singing Parton’s classic song, “Jolene.” Performances and standing ovations continued throughout the night, as a catalogue of Dolly’s most well-known tunes were sung by artists including: Katy Perry & Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson & Brandi Carlile, Miley Cyrus & Shawn Mendes, Mark Ronson, Norah Jones, Linda Perry, Mavis Staples, Chris Stapleton, Yolanda Adams and many others. The night concluded with MusiCares’ first-ever country music honoree, Dolly Parton, taking the stage with Linda Perry to perform “Coat of Many Colors,” bringing the audience through a nostalgic journey of her life and career.
“When Dolly said that she would be our 2019 Person of the Year, we knew we would be collaborating with someone who would help create a truly memorable evening filled with great performances, glimpses into her creative world and an underlying thread of giving back,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy and MusiCares. Parton accepted the honor by reflecting on her career, saying, “It was my dream, and it was a long long way from the hills of Tennessee to the Hollywood hills, but it has been a wonderful journey.” Parton spoke about how being a woman in the music industry at an early age can be hard, but she was lucky to have supportive men that she collaborated with during those times. Her speech included heartfelt stories of her family and the strong influence they had in shaping her character.
Dolly Parton’s recognition as MusiCares’ Person of the Year coincides with the opening of the Diamond In A Rhinestone World: The Costumes of Dolly Parton exhibit at the GRAMMY Museum that took place on Febraury 4, which our HC team was there to cover as well.