Okay, let’s get the question on everybody’s mind out of the way: Where the heck was Miley Cyrus? She better have been somewhere really important, because otherwise, I mean, That is your godmother, dude. Which is not even to get into how Cyrus has practically made a second career out of covering “Jolene.†But, alas. While Cyrus didn’t turn out for the 2016 CMAs’ tribute to Parton, a host of other Dolly loyalists sure did. There to celebrate Parton’s receiving the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award — she’s the first woman to receive the honor — Lily Tomlin said some kind words about her 9 to 5 co-star, while Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Nettles, Pentatonix, and Reba McEntire all crooned their love. Parton followed up with a speech, and while it was cut short to rush the ceremony along, she still found time to call receiving the Willie Nelson–named award an “absolute high.†Watch both the performances and Parton’s gem of a speech above.
