Dolly Parton made a posthumous appearance at the Country Music Association (CMA) Foundation’s Music Teachers of Excellence event.
In a video recorded before her death and introduced by Zac Brown on Wednesday, October 7, the country music icon celebrated the passion of music teachers around the U.S.
“I’ve always believed that music brings people together. But none of that happens without dedicated teachers who encourage, inspire and believe in the next generation,” Parton said in the clip. “And that’s why we’re celebrating tonight. And to every music teacher of excellence, I want to thank you for your passion, patience and care that you give your students each day. Congratulations on this incredible milestone and keep making beautiful music together.”
Introducing the clip at the beginning of Wednesday’s event, Brown said, “Not long before we lost her, Dolly recorded a special message for the teachers in this room. She took the time to speak directly to you and I can’t think of a better way to begin this night.”
“When I think about legacy, I think about what we create, but even more than that, I think about what we give away,” he continued. “This is how a life continues to reach people long after a single moment has passed. Few people understood that better than Dolly Parton. Dolly gave the world extraordinary songs, but her legacy reaches far beyond music. She gave people hope, she believed in children, and she used everything she built to create opportunities for others.”
The CMA shared footage of Parton’s video message via Instagram on Thursday, October 8. The organization captioned the post, “Shortly before we lost @DollyParton, she took the time to record a message for our teachers at the @CMAFoundation Music Teachers of Excellence. We couldn’t think of a better way to kick off the night that celebrates teachers whose legacies also reach beyond music.”
Parton died at age 80 on August 25 after battling an undisclosed form of cancer.
“I am representing the Parton and Owens family today, announcing the passing of my Aunt Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean,” Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced her death in a video shared via her Instagram account at the time. “The sadness lays with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus. Surely met by [late husband] Carl [Thomas Dean], her parents and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens.”
One month after her death, Parton made a posthumous appearance at the 2026 Americana Honors & Awards with a prerecorded video message accepting the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
“I want to thank everyone at the AMA for recognizing me with this award. It’s a great honor truly, and just know that I will always love you,” she said in the video.
