Archives Artifacts: Dolly Parton’s Kennedy Center Honors Tribute
November 22, 2024
In 2006, Dolly Parton joined Andrew Lloyd Webber, Zubin Mehta, Smokey Robinson, and Steven Spielberg as a Kennedy Center Honoree. A souvenir program and production files in the Songbook Library & Archives preserve a glimpse of the evening and of the songs and stories chosen to celebrate Dolly.
The 2006 Kennedy Center Honorees, White House photo by Eric Draper, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dolly’s portion of the program began with tributes from Reba McEntire and Reese Witherspoon. Reba spoke of Dolly’s gift for making everyone feel like “the only one in the room.” Reese recalled watching Dolly’s variety show with her mother when she was young noting “I didn’t just love Dolly. I wanted to be Dolly.”
Dolly Parton and Roy Acuff (1991 Kennedy Center Honoree), c. 1990, pictured in the 2006 Kennedy Center Honors souvenir program. Ray Charles Collection, Songbook Library & Archives.
Then came the music. A production page from the Ray Charles Collection lists Carrie Underwood and Kenny Rogers for “Islands in the Stream,” followed by a bluegrass medley featuring “My Tennessee Mountain Home” and “Jolene.” Shania Twain appears on “Coat of Many Colors,” with Alison Krauss listed on harmony. The page also lists Jessica Simpson for “9 to 5,” a performance taped for the tribute but omitted from the television broadcast at her request.
The production page outlines the performers and songs selected for Dolly Parton’s tribute. Ray Charles Collection, Songbook Library & Archives.
Both items come from the collection of Ray Charles, the arranger and conductor who called himself “the other Ray Charles” and served as a musical consultant for the Kennedy Center Honors from 1982 through 2014. The souvenir program traces Dolly’s career in pictures, while the production page shows the many artists and musicians brought together to honor her through song. Together, they capture the heart of Dolly’s musical legacy: songs rooted in her own story that have touched countless artists and audiences and will continue to bring people together for generations to come.
Watch Dolly Parton’s 2006 Kennedy Center Honors tribute in this video shared by our friends at the Kennedy Center.
Find more Archives Artifacts by exploring the Songbook Foundation's Library & Archives.
