What To Know
- CBS News will air a one-hour primetime special on August 25 to honor the legendary artist’s life, career, and cultural impact following her passing.
- The special will feature archival interviews, new reports, and commentary from CBS journalists and country music stars, highlighting Parton’s achievements in music, film, and philanthropy.
CBS News will celebrate the life and legacy of legendary artist Dolly Parton with the one-hour primetime special Dolly Parton – An American Icon. The country music legend, who passed away on Tuesday, August 25, will be remembered with a look back at her extraordinary career, cultural impact, and enduring legacy.
Airing Tuesday, August 25, at 10/9c on CBS and streaming on Paramount+, the special will feature CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King, CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil, and the CBS News team reflecting on Parton’s remarkable life and career.
King and Dokoupil will be joined in New York by CBS News’ Anthony Mason and have a correspondent on location at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Dolly Parton – An American Icon will share new reports on Parton, whose work spans music, television, film, and books, and will include clips from CBS’s vast archives of interviews with Parton, including a 60 Minutes interview with Morley Safer, a 2023 CBS News “Person-To-Person” interview with Norah O’Donnell, and interviews with Dokoupil and Mason.
The special will also feature additional commentary from country music’s biggest stars and those who knew her best.
CBS has updated its August 25 primetime lineup, with NCIS and NCIS: Origins encores airing at 8/7c and 9/8c, followed by the special honoring Parton at 10/9c.
Paramount+ Premium subscribers will have access to stream live via the live feed of their local CBS affiliate on the service, as well as on demand. Paramount+ Essential subscribers will not have the option to stream live but will have access to on-demand the day after the special airs.
A force in the entertainment industry, Parton was a talented musician, a beloved actress, and a producer who first found success as a songwriter in the ’60s, with artists including Kitty Wells, Bill Phillips, and Hank Williams Jr. recording her songs. Her national career took off in 1967 when Porter Wagoner invited her to become the featured female vocalist on his television show. She later made her film debut alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in 1980’s 9 to 5, with the title song earning an Oscar nomination and two Grammy Awards.
Widely hailed for her humanitarian work, Parton has spent her career promoting literacy through her Dollywood Foundation. Her literacy program, Parton’s Imagination Library, has mailed over 270 million free books as of early 2025. Beyond that, Parton has devoted her time and resources to a wide range of causes, from the American Red Cross to HIV/AIDS charities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Parton donated $1 million towards research, which funded the development of the Moderna vaccine.
Dolly Parton – An American Icon, August 25, 10/9c, CBS