Carly Pearce Remembers Dolly Parton: “She Was My Fairy Godmother”

Country star Carly Pearce joined the Cat Pak Morning Show on Cat Country 98.7 to share her deeply personal memories of Dolly Parton and explain why their relationship brought her remarkable journey full circle.

Pearce began working as a performer at Dollywood when she was just 16 years old. Years later, Dolly personally surprised her with an invitation to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Carly would also have the opportunity to stand beside her hero and sing two of Dolly’s most iconic songs.

As Carly reflected on Dolly’s passing, she admitted that it was difficult to imagine country music—or the world—without her.

“I always wondered, ‘What will the world be like without Dolly?’” Carly said. “It’s hard to even use the word ‘icon’ to justify what she is. I think those high heels will never be filled.”

Carly Pearce Remembers Dolly’s Kindness

Fans around the world knew Dolly for her sparkling personality, quick wit and unmistakable style. According to Carly, the warmth people saw in public was exactly what they would have experienced if they had met Dolly privately.

“She really was,” Carly said. “There was such a down-home, kind, good-hearted girl in there. She never lost her roots. She never forgot where she came from, and she really was just joyous when you were in her presence.”

Carly first met Dolly while working at Dollywood as a teenager. Even then, she felt the same kindness she would experience during their later meetings.

“She really is like a fairy godmother,” Carly said.

The Surprise That Changed Carly Pearce’s Life

One of the most important moments of Carly’s career happened in June 2021. She believed she was recording a promotional interview for Dollywood when she suddenly heard someone approaching.

“I heard her high heels coming down the hall,” Carly recalled. “When you hear high heels, you know. I just knew.”

Dolly entered the room and surprised Carly with the news that she had been invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry.

The invitation carried extraordinary meaning. Carly had left her Kentucky home at 16 to perform at Dollywood and had spent years dreaming of becoming an Opry member. Dolly—one of her greatest influences—was personally delivering the news.

Carly compared the anticipation to the moment before someone drops to one knee to propose.

“I remember just being like, ‘Say it, say it, say it, say it,’” she said. “I still watch the video and get teary because that was my lifelong dream coming so full circle with the woman who paved the way for me and all of us in country music.”

The invitation was historic for another reason: Carly said she was the only artist Dolly ever personally invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Carly was formally inducted by Trisha Yearwood on August 3, 2021.

Sharing the Stage With Dolly Parton

Carly later received another unforgettable opportunity when she performed “9 to 5” and “Jolene” with Dolly during Dolly Parton’s Pet Gala.

Carly said her team believes the event may have been Dolly’s final live televised appearance, although they had not been able to confirm that detail conclusively.

“What a moment to get to share the stage,” Carly said. “I got my start at Dollywood and ended getting to sing onstage with her—two of her most iconic songs. That is quite an honor.”

For Carly, the performance now feels like the closing of a circle that began when she was a teenage singer at Dollywood.

Dolly affectionately called Carly “my little Dollywood girl,” a name that captured the special connection between the country music legend and the young performer whose dreams she helped inspire.

Remembering Dolly Parton’s Life and Legacy

Dolly Rebecca Parton was born January 19, 1946, in Sevier County, Tennessee. One of 12 children, she grew up in a one-room home in the Great Smoky Mountains and began writing songs when she was just five years old.

She performed on local radio and television as a child and made her Grand Ole Opry debut at age 13. After moving to Nashville, Dolly became a nationally recognized performer through The Porter Wagoner Show before launching a groundbreaking solo career.

Her catalog includes enduring country classics such as “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You.” Across her seven-decade career, Dolly earned 11 Grammy Awards, 10 CMA Awards and five ACM Awards. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

Her influence reached far beyond music. Dolly founded the Dollywood Foundation and launched Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in 1995. Inspired by her father’s inability to read or write, the program has provided more than 300 million free books to young children around the world.

Dolly Parton died peacefully in Nashville on August 25, 2026, at the age of 80, according to an announcement on her official website. Her family requested a small private service and encouraged those wishing to honor her to support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

“Exactly What You Hoped for—and More”

For the millions of people who loved Dolly but never had the opportunity to meet her, Carly offered one final reassurance.

“She’s exactly what you had hoped for and more,” Carly said.

Then, with a line that felt perfectly suited to Dolly, Carly added:

“Heaven got a whole lot sassier today.”

Watch Carly Pearce’s complete conversation with the Cat Pak Morning Show as she remembers Dolly Parton, shares the story behind her unforgettable Opry invitation and reflects on the woman who changed her life.