The “Country Music Party of the Year” 58th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards took place on wednesday at the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas, co-hosted by superstars Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton. While Lainey Wilson was the ceremony's top honoree, taking home four trophies, and Chris Stapleton was named Entertainer of the Year, Real The winner of the night was Parton—who opened the show with a risqué joke that left Brooks blushing, and closed the night with a performance that had the 12,000-seat venue going wild.
Brooks closed the broadcast, marking the first time she hosted any awards show that aired live on Prime Video, saluting her legendary co-hosts—from Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard to Keith Whitley at ACM— The list of respected country icons has been tampered with. Randy Travis before finally declaring, “But the king of country music is a woman! Give it up to the GOAT! At the right sign, the GOAT/King, Parton struts on stage with a real live goat named Claire to say, Felt, “Did I hear you were looking for a goat? I've got your goat right here!”
Proving that she is indeed the greatest of all time, the 77-year-old Parton then had Brooks and the entire Ford Center crowd in awe when she revealed that she's long heard rumors that she'd love for both Brooks and her “Hall Pass”. The wife, Trisha Yearwood, murmured: “I just thought! I know why you're doing that ‘goat' thing! I think it means ‘Garth organized a threesome'.”
“And I thought I couldn't love you anymore,” laughed the red-faced Brooks. “I think I speak for everyone, not just in Texas, but around the world when I say we will always love you.”
Later in the evening, in a more solemn ACM moment, Parton recalled two of her late friends — Naomi Judd, who committed suicide in April 2022, and Loretta Lynn, who died last October at age 90 — Awarded to astonishing, sudden. an a cappella rendition of the hymn “Precious Memories”, while a reverent Brooks stood nearby with his hat in hand. Parton called Lynn “a hero and one of the most important but still grounded singer-songwriters in history”, and said of Judd, “We're the same age, both real GOATs, Capricorns, and we've got big hair.” Liked it. I still do. And we loved that makeup. But most of all, we loved each other.”
Parton closed the ACMs with a live debut of “World on Fire”, the lead single from her upcoming all-star rock album, Rock Star, That album, a response to her reluctant 2022 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is set to come out on November 17, and will feature a staggering number of tracks featuring collaborations with Pat Benatar, Brandi Carlile, Sheryl Crow, Miley… There will be a list. Cyrus, John Fogerty, Peter Frampton, Rob Halford, Debbie Harry, Joan Jett, Elton John, simon Le Bon, paul McCartney. Stevie Nicks, Steve Perry, Pink, Richie Sambora, Nikki Sixx, Ringo Starr, Sting, Ann Wilson, and many more.
For “World on Fire”, however, Parton made a statement on her own, dramatically opening her performance in a billowing map-of-the-world skirt as she lamented the divided state of modern society, Singing: “Show some love / Let's rise up / Let's make a stand / Let's lend a hand / Let the hurt heal / Let the kindness do the work / Let's be friends / Let the hate take over.
Along with Parton's rousing finale, other highlights of the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards performance included Cole Swindell and Joe Di Messina teaming up for “She Had Me at Her Carolina,” Trisha Yearwood and Carly Pearce performing Yearwood's hits, Cody Teamed up for a medley of Johnson's. “Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys,” with a stripped-back rendition of War and Treaty's “Blank Pages,” celebrating the 90th birthday of Willie Nelson (who made a surprise cameo via FaceTime). , and Ed Sheeran and Luke Combs debuted their duet version of Sheeran's track “Life Goes On”. Click here for the complete list of 2023 ACM winners.
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