Remembering Dolly Parton's 'Rocky Top' rendition at 2023 Tennessee football game
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It's difficult to measure the impact Dolly Parton had on country music and her home state of Tennessee over her eight decades of life.
Among her countless connections to the Volunteer State was a memorable appearance at Neyland Stadium in 2023, when she was escorted onto the field by legendary Vols quarterback Peyton Manning before delivering a heartfelt rendition of "Rocky Top," Tennessee's (unofficial) fight song.
Parton died on Tuesday, Aug. 25, at the age of 80, as announced in a video message shared by her family on social media and confirmed to USA TODAY.
One of the greatest Rocky Top renditions of all time.@DollyPartonpic.twitter.com/JA9uhZ1v4H
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) November 18, 2023
"I couldn't hear because my sound went out and the stadium was so loud," Parton said after her performance to CBS Sports' Jenny Dell. "But I was so honored to be here, and I love Peyton, I love the crowd. It's just good to be home."
Parton's end-of-the-first-quarter rendition of "Rocky Top" wasn't her last that Saturday. As Dell sent the broadcast back to Brad Kessler in the Neyland Stadium booth, Dell's microphone apparently remained live, allowing viewers at home to hear another line of Tennessee's unofficial fight song in the background.
Parton served as Tennessee's commencement speaker in 2009 and was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane and musical letters. She additionally held world tour stops on Tennessee's campus in 2011 and 2014. In 2022, Parton tweeted about Tennessee's win vs. Alabama the night prior — the program's first since 2006 — saying, "it's great to be a Tennessee Vol."
I said it's great to be a Tennessee Vol! What a win last night. If I wasn't out of town it would have been a treat to have been there, and I heard there were some rumors that I would be. Nobody was more disappointed than me to not be there. GBO! 🧡
— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) October 16, 2022
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Remembering Dolly Parton's 'Rocky Top' rendition at 2023 Tennessee football game
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