As the world mourns the death of American icon Dolly Parton, fans are reflecting on some of her most memorable performances, including her halftime show at the Commanders-Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game in 2023.
Part of the reason Parton’s death is so difficult to comprehend is that she seemed invincible, even at 80, and that she looked and sounded fantastic just three years ago. For that performance, the country music legend took the stage in a crop-top-style Cowboys cheerleader uniform, white vest, white short shorts, and a star sticker over her belly button.
Parton proceeded to sing some of her most popular songs, including timeless hits like “Jolene” and “9 to 5.” She also added some covers of popular songs from her last album, “Rockstar,” which was released in November 2023.
The singer previously talked about turning down the opportunity to perform at various Super Bowl halftime shows in the past, saying the timing never working out. But the stars aligned in 2023 for an epic Thanksgiving Day game show that fans won’t soon forget.
During a 2024 interview with USA Today, Parton said she was nervous to do the Thanksgiving Day performance at the age of 77.
“I thought, ‘Well at my age, if I can pull it off, it’s going to be good. And if I don’t, I can just pass it off as an old woman doing a stupid ass thing,'” she told the outlet at the time. “I’ve always said my desire to do something is greater than my fear of it.”
Parton, one of the most beloved figures in American entertainment history, died on Tuesday after a “brief battle with cancer.”
“But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light, and is in the arms of Jesus,” her nephew Bryan Seaver said in part.
The singer’s death comes after many months of health concerns. Fans were alarmed in September 2025 when she postponed a scheduled Las Vegas residency, but Parton responded with a humorous health update and saying she needed a “100,000-mile check-up.”
Across her six-decade career, Parton wrote over 3,000 songs, scored 25 country No. 1 hits, took home 11 Grammys, and snagged a 2022 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She initially turned the induction down because she didn’t think she was “rock” enough.
Her humility, kindness, and compassion is all part of what made the singer so beloved by all people across the political spectrum.
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