Last Night of the Proms pays moving tribute to Dolly Parton as Sheridan Smith wears a gold sequin jumpsuit in memory of the Queen of Country
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By TOM MIDLANE and JAMIE BOYS, REPORTER
Published: | Updated:
The BBC Proms gave the recently departed Dolly Parton a royal send-off with a musical tribute at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday night.
The second half of the Last Night of the Proms began with To Dolly, With Love, arranged by English composer Fiona Brice.
Sheridan Smith opened the segment by belting out Parton’s feminist anthem 9 to 5 in a gold-sequinned jumpsuit worthy of the Queen of Country herself.
Smith, known for playing Ruth in Gavin and Stacey, wore a big blonde wig and a glittering gold jumpsuit as she strutted onstage belting the track during an energetic performance accompanied by a large dance ensemble.
That was followed by a beautiful, sombre performance of Jolene by twin sisters Catherine and Lizzy of the Ward Thomas Duo, accompanied by the choir.
Soul legend Beverley Knight finished things off with a dramatic rendition of karaoke classic I Will Always Love You to rapturous applause.
Sheridan Smith opened the segment by belting out Parton’s feminist anthem 9 to 5 in a gold-sequinned jumpsuit worthy of the Queen of Country herself
Smith, known for playing Ruth in Gavin and Stacey, wore a big blonde wig and a glittering gold jumpsuit as she strutted onstage belting the track during an energetic performance accompanied by a large dance ensemble
‘Are you expecting me to speak after that?’ choir master Gareth Malone said while talking later with the BBC Proms co-hosts, Nick Mohammed and Katie Derham.
He added: ‘It was so emotional, it was beautiful, I love Dolly, that was a wonderful rendition. The way the choir came up it really got me.’
The stars were joined by the BBC Symphony Orchestra on stage during the renditions of her beloved hits.
Conductor Sakari Oramo said it was 'just stunning' to be in the Royal Albert Hall.
He said: 'There's such a festive buzz. The atmosphere is really tangible and there are all the flags... I see many Finnish flags as well which is great,' in a nod to his home country.
Fans watching at home praised the performances, branding it a ‘fitting tribute’ to the star, who died last month at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 80.
Parton sold more than 100 million records worldwide during her storied career, making her one of the best-selling artists of all-time, scooping 11 Grammy Awards in the process.
Fans watching at home praised the performances, branding it a ‘fitting tribute’ to Parton, who died last month at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 80
She was often referred to as the Queen of Country and enjoyed an illustrious music career that spanned an incredible six decades.
Her death came after months of health woes that saw her pull out of a string of public appearances, fuelling fan fears for her wellbeing.
The concert marks the end of the BBC Proms 2026 season, which spanned eight weeks and featured 86 concerts that were attended by 300,000 people.
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