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“Now that’s what you call a surprise!”
Dolly Parton shared her reaction to an unforgettable surprise as she celebrated her 80th birthday on Monday (January 19). A kilt-clad bagpipe player played “Happy Birthday” as the beloved country legend received a cake with glowing birthday candles. Parton thanked the bagpipe player, and noticed that the icing on the cake revealed the surprise was from iconic U2 frontman Bono and the rest of the band.
“I did it!” Parton exclaimed as she blew out the candles. “Thank you, guys. I appreciate all of you,” she added later, and joked to the bagpipe player, “are you calling me an old bag?”
The bagpipe player replied with a laugh, “no way at all.”
“That was very thoughtful of you. Thank you,” Parton said. She wrote in her caption on Instagram: “Now that’s what you call a surprise! This old bag sure feels the love! 😉💖 Thank you, Bono and [U2] for making my birthday extra special.”
Parton celebrated her 80th birthday by releasing a reimagined version of “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” five decades after she wrote it in 1976. She released the original version in 1977. On Friday (January 16), Parton debuted a new version of the inspiring ballad featuring Lainey Wilson, Miley Cyrus (her goddaughter), Queen Latifah and Reba McEntire, plus David Foster on piano and The Christ Church Choir on background vocals. Parton confirmed proceeds from the new version and the music video support pediatric cancer research at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee. On Saturday (January 17), Wilson, Vince Gill, Rhonda Vincent and songwriter Trannie Anderson paid tribute to Parton at the Grand Ole Opry’s annual Opry Goes Dolly show. Other artists — including McEntire, Shania Twain and more — posted tributes in honor of Parton’s birthday on Monday.
“Well hey there, Grand Ole Opry family!” Parton said in a recorded message when the Opry announced Opry Goes Dolly details. “I just wanted to say how much it means to me that you’re all coming together again this year to celebrate my big ol’ birthday with some of my songs. Some of my favorite memories happened right here on stage at the Grand Ole Opry. And I wish I could be there in person, but I’ll be sending you all my love for sure. So, you have the best night ever.”