Dolly Parton Dedicates Hymn To “Sisters” Loretta Lynn And Naomi Judd During ACM Awards

Watch the moving performance.

Thanks to co-hosts Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks, Thursday night’s ACM Awards show was filled with laughter and levity.

But the broadcast had its fair share of somber moments too. Between award presentations and performances, the superstars paused their banter to reflect on the lives of Loretta Lynn and Naomi Judd, two close friends of Parton who died in 2022.

"Tonight we lovingly remember all those we've lost in our country music family," Brooks said. "And we promise to do our best to keep the circle forever unbroken in their memory."

Parton spoke tenderly of the legends who “were like sisters” to her, describing Lynn as "a hero and one of the most important, but still down-to-earth singer-songwriters in history."

"And of course Naomi and I, well, we're the same age, both real G.O.A.Ts,” she continued, “Capricorns and we loved big hair. I still do. And we loved that makeup. But above all else, we loved each other."

Parton then moved into an emotional a cappella rendition of the hymn "Precious Memories."

Lynn was 90 years old when she passed peacefully in her sleep on October 4, 2022. In her six decade career, she was inducted into more music Halls of Fame than any female recording artist. The four-time-Grammy-winner became the first woman to be named the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year in 1972 and sold more than 45 million records worldwide.

Judd died on April 30, 2022 at the age of 76 after a long battle with severe depression and anxiety. The mother-daughter act The Judds won five Grammys and had 14 No. 1 singles. The beloved matriarch died a day before she and her daughter Wynonna were scheduled to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

For more Southern Living news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Southern Living.