dolly parton cowboys thanksgiving (Getty Images)

dolly parton cowboys thanksgiving (Getty Images)

Dolly Parton died Tuesday at age 80, and the tributes pouring in from the sports world are a reminder of just how far her reach extended beyond country music. On Thanksgiving Day 2023, Parton walked out at AT&T Stadium in a bedazzled Cowboys cheerleader outfit, stood in front of 90,000-plus fans, and performed one of the most memorable halftime shows in the NFL’s holiday tradition — at 77 years old. She had been tied to Tennessee athletics for decades — the school’s marching band performed a full tribute to her at Neyland Stadium in 2015, and she surprised them with a video message played on the board. In 2020, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame named her Tennessean of the Year.

“I’ve always said my desire to do something is greater than my fear of it. Days before Thanksgiving 2023, Peyton Manning led her onto the field at Neyland Stadium, where she performed “Rocky Top” during Tennessee’s home game against Georgia. “My East Tennessee roots run deep, and I am so proud to be partnering with the Vols,” she said at the time.

Among all her moments in stadiums and arenas, one stands above the rest. She later explained her mindset going in: “I thought, ‘Well at my age, if I can pull it off, it’s going to be good. The Cowboys moment was the most nationally visible, but Parton’s sports identity was rooted in Tennessee. It was not a publicity move.

And if I don’t, I can just pass it off as an old woman doing a stupid ass thing,'” she told USA Today. On Tuesday, the organization called her a Tennessee icon in its statement marking her passing.