Country singer Carly Pearce has always made it clear that Dolly Parton is a hero of hers. So it was only fitting that the Grand Ole Opry let Pearce be part of unveiling a very special honor to the country icon.
As part of its 100th Anniversary Celebration, the Grand Ole Opry unveiled a custom Dolly-themed mic stand. Carly Pearce did the honors at her sold-out Opry show May 16.
In a post on the Opry’s Instagram page, a video shows Pearce on stage telling the crowd how, when she was 16, she convinced her parents to let her quit high school to sing at Dolly’s Tennessee theme park, “Dollywood.”
Pearce tells the crowd, “I was like, working 9 to 5 for Dolly sounds so much better than sophomore year of high school. But this place we’re standing today, this is what I dreamt of. This is what that little girl thought of. She wanted to make it to this stage.”
Pearce went on to tell the crowd of Dolly’s love for the Grand Ole Opry and how she made her debut there. And how in 2021, Dolly invited Carly Pearce to join the Opry. In fact, Pearce is the only person ever invited to join the Opry by Dolly Parton.
Then the singer surprised the crowd, telling them the Opry had asked her to unveil a very special mic stand in tribute to Dolly.
Pearce then pulled a sparkly blue cover off the mic stand before singing Dolly’s hit “Jolene.”
Opry’s Dolly Mic Stand Is Full of Special Touches
In the Opry’s Instagram post about the new mike stand, the caption explains, “Just before performing the iconic song “Jolene,” the Grammy, CMA, and ACM Award-winning country star revealed the specially designed Opry mic stand in honor of Dolly Parton, one of the Opry’s most beloved global ambassadors. The stand commissioned exclusively for the Opry’s 100th year, features sparkling rhinestones, pink and purple butterflies, and other design elements inspired by Dolly’s signature style. It will be used throughout the Opry’s centennial celebration.”
Pearce used the mic stand for the remainder of her performance.
Carly Pearce Wraps Up ‘Hummingbird’ World Tour at Opry
Pearce’s May 16 performance at the Grand Ole Opry was the last stop on the singer’s “Hummingbird” world tour.
That tour started in October 2024.
In an Instagram post about her final show, Carly wrote, “we played the final night of the ‘hummingbird world tour’ at the only place I would want to – The Ryman. it was everything I wanted it to be + more. thank you @carterfaith for singing with me. you know how much I love you. thank you @littlebigtown for giving the crowd the surprise of a lifetime. I can’t wait to be on the road with y’all this summer. thank you to the key writers of my next album & my dear friends for opening the show. and thank you @opry for asking me to unveil the new @dollyparton mic stand. being a member will forever be the greatest honor. officially closing this chapter, but I can’t tell you how excited I am for what’s next 💛”
Carly Pearce Will Be Back on the Road This Summer
While Carly Pearce’s “Hummingbird” tour may be over, her time on the road is not.
Carly will join “Little Big Town” on their summer tour in July and August with stops in Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, New Jersey and New York.
But first, “Little Big Town” joined Carly, surprising fans by joining her on stage for the final show of her own tour. Carly sang along with the band’s hit “Girl Crush” to the delight of the audience.
Comments
Carly Pearce & Dolly Parton’s Full Circle Opry Moment