The special guest at an all-female performance slot curated by Brandi Carlile
Dolly Parton made a surprise appearance at Newport Folk Festival this past Saturday (July 27), performing classics like ‘Jolene’, ‘I Will Always Love You’ and ‘9 to 5’ with an all-star, all-female music line-up.
The country legend was the special guest at the day’s final performance slot, which the long-running Rhode Island festival had mysteriously billed as “♀♀♀♀: The Collaboration”, Pitchfork notes. It turned out to be a line-up of female musicians curated by Brandi Carlile, who was performing at the festival with her new supergroup The Highwomen.
Parton made her grand entrance to raucous cheers and applause during The Highwomen’s cover of ‘Eagle When She Cries’. She dueted with Carlile on a tender rendition of ‘I Will Always Love You’, performed ‘Just Because I’m A Woman’ and ‘Jolene’ with The Highwomen, and led the crowded stage in an energetic closing performance of ‘9 to 5’.
Watch the performances via fan-shot footage below.
This year, Newport Folk Festival booked the highest number of female acts in its 60-year history, Rolling Stone notes. Besides Carlile and The Highwomen – the quartet rounded out by Maren Morris, Natalie Hemby and Amanda Shires – other musicians involved in “♀♀♀♀: The Collaboration” were Judy Collins, Linda Perry, Sheryl Crow, Jade Bird, Lucy Dacus, Maggie Rogers, Yola and more.
