CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton will air live Wednesday, Oct. 21 from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+. The two-hour special, filmed at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Belmont University in Nashville, will feature an all-star lineup performing Parton’s songs and will include special guests Amy Grant and Kimberly Williams-Paisley plus a Belmont University student ensemble. The program honors Parton, who died on Aug. 25 at age 80 after a brief battle with cancer, and recognizes her philanthropic and entrepreneurial legacy. CMA CEO Sarah Trahern said the industry “owes her a debt of gratitude” and described the special as a way of saying thank you. The CMA and Belmont will donate a portion of proceeds from the special to Parton’s Imagination Library, which has given away nearly 308 million books to children since 1995. The special will stream on Hulu the day after the live broadcast; ABC, Disney+ and Hulu are all part of The Walt Disney Co.
