Reba McEntire‘s tribute to Dolly Parton at the 2026 Primetime Emmys was beautiful in song, but some of the most touching details were hidden in plain sight.
McEntire performed Dolly’s 1983 song “Appalachian Memories” during the ceremony, just weeks after Dolly’s death at 80. She didn’t just choose a song with deep meaning to her longtime friend — she also wore pieces from Dolly’s personal collection.
And one detail of McEntire’s look appears to have reached all the way back to the first time Dolly performed the song herself.
Reba’s Accessory Tribute to Dolly
According to The Dolly Archive on Instagram, McEntire was “loaned” several pieces from Dolly’s archives for the performance.
That included one of Dolly’s butterfly rings from her “personal collection.” Butterflies were one of Dolly’s favorite motifs and appeared frequently in her jewelry, clothing, and other personal style choices.
Read More: Dolly Parton’s ‘Appalachian Memories’ History: A Father’s Story, Name Change + More
McEntire also wore the statement earrings Dolly wore in the music video for “Does He Love You,” the 1993 duet she recorded with Dolly.
The jewelry made the tribute feel especially personal. Rather than simply recreating Dolly’s style, McEntire was actually wearing pieces that belonged to her.
Dolly was famously devoted to glamour and believed in going big with her look. As she told Vogue in 2020, “I think more is more and whoever made up that ‘less is more’ is full of it.”
Reba’s Gown Was a Nod to Dolly, Too
The jewelry wasn’t the only hidden connection in McEntire’s Emmys look.
McEntire wore a custom white pleated gown by Michael Schmidt Studios, a style that echoed the white fringed gown Dolly wore when she first performed “Appalachian Memories” live during her 1983 television special Live in London.
That’s a remarkable bit of symmetry: More than four decades after Dolly introduced the song in a white gown, McEntire performed it in a look inspired by that original appearance.
The tribute also brought Dolly’s own voice back into the moment. Before McEntire performed, the broadcast played a clip of Dolly introducing the song herself in 1983.
I grew up in the Smoky Mountains, the Appalachian Mountains. I have written a song that touches me very deep. This song, like I say, is very important to me. And I hope you like it. If you don’t like it, if you don’t mind, I would rather not hear about it later.
Between Dolly’s jewelry, the nod to her original gown, and the sound of Dolly herself introducing the song, McEntire’s performance was filled with little reminders of the woman she was there to honor.
Watch Reba’s ‘Appalachian Memories’ Tribute to Dolly Parton:
See Pictures of Dolly Parton, Through the Years
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
