At a Tennessee football game, it’s difficult to take Peyton Manning’s spotlight away.
Dolly Parton, a Tennessee native and icon of country music, was treated like a queen when she arrived at Neyland Stadium on Saturday for the Volunteers’ home game against No. 1 Georgia.
None other than her fellow Tennessee icon, Parton, led her down a stage on the field at the end of the first quarter. Then she came on and sang “Rocky Top.”
Parton later discussed her experience with Jenny Dell of CBS Sports, stating that there were some technical difficulties with her performance.
“I couldn’t hear because my sound went out and the stadium was so loud,” Parton said. “But I was so honored to be here, and I love Peyton, I love the crowd. It’s just good to be home.”
In order to allow Brad Kessler to call the next play in the game, Dell returned to the booth. However, the microphone remained on, allowing viewers to hear Parton sing “Rocky Top.” She continued singing a line from the unofficial fight song of the school when it was returned to her.
Parton has a relationship with Tennessee; on Friday, she released a rock album. A co-branded merchandise line and an exclusive Vols edition of Parton’s new album “Rockstar,” which features a live performance of Parton singing “Rocky Top,” were among the partnership announcements made by Parton and the athletic department in September.
