MeTV Remembers Dolly Parton With a Special Tribute Featuring the Country Legend Herself

Ed GrossSun, August 30, 2026 at 1:35 AM UTC

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MeTV

Just days after the death of Dolly Parton at age 80, MeTV is remembering the country music legend with a special 90-minute programming block celebrating a remarkable life and career—including an appearance from Parton herself that takes on added poignancy following her passing.

MeTV Remembers Dolly Parton airs Sunday, August 30, beginning at 5 p.m. ET/PT. The tribute pairs the 2024 documentary Dolly Parton: Big Hair, Bigger Heart with a 2020 episode of MeTV's Collector's Call devoted to what the network describes as the world's largest private collection of Dolly Parton memorabilia. And this isn't simply a collection of records, posters and concert souvenirs.

Inside an incredible Dolly Parton collection

The Collector's Call episode, "Meet Harrell Gabehart: Dolly Parton," visits collectors Patric Parkey and Harrell Gabehart, whose home is filled with pieces chronicling Parton's life and career. And this is a collection that goes well beyond the sort of albums, posters and concert memorabilia that might ordinarily fill a superfan's shelves. Parkey and Gabehart have managed to assemble items with direct connections to Parton herself, turning their home into something resembling a personal Dolly museum.

Among their treasures are clothing and shoes actually worn by Parton, one of her banjos and even the bedroom furniture from her personal suite at Dollywood. Then there's one of the more unusual artifacts: an autographed courtroom sketch depicting Parton during the 1980s copyright infringement lawsuit involving her song "9 to 5." Taken together, the pieces offer a surprisingly intimate journey through different parts of Parton's life, from her music and unmistakable fashion sense to the entertainment empire she ultimately built around herself.

As is customary on Collector's Call, a professional appraiser—in this case Judy Martin—examines the memorabilia and attempts to determine what the collection might be worth. Of course, putting a dollar figure on items with such personal connections to Parton is only part of the fun. Martin then presents Parkey and Gabehart with an opportunity to trade one of their Dolly treasures for another piece, forcing the collectors to decide whether they're willing to give up something they already love for something potentially even more desirable.

But Martin has something else waiting for them that no appraisal could really put a price on: Parton herself appears via video with a surprise personal message for the collectors. For two people who devoted so much time, energy and space in their home to celebrating Parton and her career, it's a wonderfully personal payoff—and, seen today, a particularly touching moment between the superstar and two of her most devoted fans.

Seen when the episode originally aired in 2020, it was a memorable celebrity surprise. Following Parton's death on August 25, the moment inevitably carries considerably more emotional weight, particularly in an episode devoted to two people who spent years preserving pieces of her history.

Celebrating Dolly Parton's extraordinary life

The evening begins at 5 p.m. with Dolly Parton: Big Hair, Bigger Heart, a 2024 documentary tracing the journey from her famously humble Tennessee beginnings to international superstardom. Born January 19, 1946, in Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains, Parton went on to sell more than 100 million records and write thousands of songs, among them "Jolene," "I Will Always Love You" and "9 to 5."

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Her career ultimately extended far beyond country music with Parton becoming a movie star through films including 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Steel Magnolias, an entrepreneur through ventures such as Dollywood and a celebrated philanthropist, most notably through her Imagination Library literacy program.

Together, the two MeTV programs offer very different perspectives on that legacy. Big Hair, Bigger Heart looks at the public figure whose music and personality made her an international icon. Collector's Call offers something more personal: a look at the connection Parton inspired in her fans and, thanks to that surprise appearance, a glimpse of Dolly connecting right back.

MeTV Remembers Dolly Parton airs Sunday, August 30, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. ET/PT on MeTV.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”