Dolly Parton Performs Rocky Top for University of Tennessee Graduates 

I hope sooner or later people realize she is a national treasure

I saw her sing at a Bluegrass festival once before she became famous. She is a very talented, wonderful person who has helped so many people in Tennessee.

Saw Dolly sing this live at my sisters UT graduation ceremony. Man did I get so lost in the damn moment, and Im a total metal head. Listened to all her records, which were really outside my scope, became a huge fan of dolly, just from this one show

She made East Tennessee, Sevier County grow greater than ever and her apperances on Cas Walkr Sunday Morning show and his Cas Walker Supermarket Market's famous. She a Rockstar of Rocky To at U.T and the Volunteers ❤❤

i love her voice shes awesome

LOVE OLD Fashion music Rocky Top and the Dixie Land Band❤ Go Dolly❤

i'm probably a third her age, but boy she seems to have more energy than me. and she sure can sing live. wow.

Great to hear Dolly's story of hard work being told to young adults embarking on a new phase of life.

i love rocky top and her voice she sounds like an angel

An Icon ❤who Loves The Lord.Amen❤

World class ❤

She is simply amazing! She helps everyone thru her songs, energy n being the good person she is! Just wanna say THANK U for being U!!!

@ 7:20 - 7:25..... Dolly's entrance...."Hello-o--o Governor, thank you ..you can sing too....."... Classic entrance ....all Dolly.

I was in the audience at this ceremony, sister graduated from UT on this day. Completely forgot that the most prominent and successful Tennessee politician(gasp a Democrat!!) in the past 30 years gave a speech. All I remember is all of us in the crowd singing with Dolly, we raised the roof on that arena. Also she gave a great speech about all that typical graduation bs, believe in yourself, chase your dream, never forget your roots, etc. Except it I felt what she said came 100% from the heart, she's been there/done that in terms of fame and has given back to the local community more than anybody can imagine.

Dolly,a Tennesee and National treasure! Go Vols!!!!!!!

I can't wait until I go to college! I'm going to UT! Go VOLS!

Wow, I would love to go to a commencement like this.

Love this school! Go Tennessee! VOLS NATION.

Saw her at the Nebraska State Fair sometime in the 70's. Eddie Rabbit was the opening act. She was great. We are both so much older now!

I was here for my sister. I wasn't paying attention before she came up and she really caught me by surprise. It was odd at first since it was my first time hearing her, but it was an entertaining experience. She sure has a way with the crowd!

Some of us just get better with age ... GO DOLLY!!!

her way of performing this song is awesome

Dolly ROCKS!!!

God bless you Dolly, you're a real woman.

“This woman needs no introduction..,”, but then he proceeded to talk about her for over 5 minutes. Right... 🧐🤨

We all love you Dolly.

Madonna should not EVER be mentioned in the same breath as Dolly Parton!! Dolly is an angel sent from Heaven and well...we all know what what the other one is....

Dolly is a goddess!

she is so great

Great bit of (clearly) live singing (over the top of a backing track). Now this is what I call a graduation ceremony! *****

If she is really singing that live, that is pretty damn astounding.

greatest graduation ever im so jealous

I'm second to you.... i love her voice.

Tysm! 👏 🎵🎸. I pray peaceful ☮️, healing💚, happy🥳, fun🎉, intuitive 👑, clean 🧽🧼, organized, prosperous, safe & well hydrated blessings to ALL Divine Beings of Love, Peace & Light, Thank U Universe! 🙏🗿🌟🇺🇸🔔🍀🌎♻️

a true American icon...

Tennessee,, Ya done good! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Love this song! originally by The Carter sisters and mother Maybelle. The pioneers of country. But Dolly did a awesome job with it.

Her voice is fucking INCREDIBLE!

Love the song, Rocky Top. The only singers who will sing it are the legends of Country Music. Don't think I've ever heard the so called singers of today sing, "Rocky Top" or "Mule Skinners Blues" TOO COUNTRY for them.

This was a great graduation. Mine was horrible. When I graduated UT our guest speaker didn't even show up and the girl next to me was so hungover she almost couldn't walk across the stage. The whole floor smelled like vodka. But I got that scroll and ran! GO VOLS!

My graduation from UT sucked. The governor didn't show up, the guest speaker got stranded at an airport somewhere and everyone around me smelled like cheap vodka. Oh well, GO VOLS!

I love me some Dolly Parton

I love her

And little did they know, at the time this was recorded, that Dolly Parton would get even deeper into philanthropy, even with funding the development of a covid-19 vaccine. She's amazing.

I'm so proud to be a UT student! I have fallen in love with TN and UTK!

awesome

My God...7 minutes and 10 seconds. That's not an introduction...that's a soliloquy!

If something ever happens to her the world stops just an amazing person around the world if you're looking at making a mark she's done it 10 times over

Dolly in 24!!!

for some one who don't need an introduction she got an awfully long one... administrators love the sound of their own voices ... don't they??

Correct! I was there! And She was live singing beacsue they acidently started the muic to early before the ceremony started and there were no words just music. HA!

Now that's a commencement speech!

My son graduated that day, but he was in the first group and we had to listen to Al Gore, Ugh! Would have much rather listened to her. We love you Dolly!

Wish I could do that

Her version of Mule Skinner Blues is awesome!

Queen of south no doubt

go vandy. great season in basketball vols. wish u had upset bama in football. dolly parton is spectacular

Dude, for real.

Thanks for the 10 hour long intro Governor Bredesen

I was there. My sister graduated with her.

And now with out further ado. Here comes Dolly, twice!

"Rocky Top" was 100% mimed...."Try" was live. She does rely quite heavily on backing tracks while on tour, but in this case, and in many instances during the tours, she lip-sychs. Anyone remember the 2004 "Hello, I'm Dolly" Tour? She mimed the WHOLE freaking show! She saved face by singing to backing tracks during "The Vintage" and "Backwoods Barbie" tours.

Governor Phil, sure do miss him

Further more,,, and in conclusion, on this occasion quite auspicious, I say to you my esteemed colleagues and audience members, to finalize my small introduction, but first perhaps a small story is in order here. So where to begin, hmm, let's see,, many years ago as a small boy on Rocky Top,,,

She is a goddess.

@CarmenAleXXXis I don't think she is lip sinking the lack of feedback is because the person working the sound board knew how to work it properly, matched with a modern sound system and some video sound editing magic. The sound is off on the whole video due to compression.

This would be a much better video if it started at 7 minutes, 10 seconds and then I would have included it in my Ultimate Rocky Top Playlist.

When all my kids come home 🏡

wholly crap, didn't think I was ever going to see Dolly, is there another video of this with just Dolly?

BTW...just go ahead and skip up to the 7:00 mark and you'll skip all the bs....

Only way I'd ever upvote a University of Tennessee post is if you put Dolly Parton in it.

make Tennessee great again #firebutch

GAHHHHHHHh i miss tennessee!

I always wondered why the folks on Rocky Top get their corn from a jar. Dolly is an excellent singer.

Rocky Top Tennessee Was In The Movie Six Pack.

If this is official University of Tennessee, you'd think they'd be able to sort out their subtitles.

Skip the first 7min & 10 sec, after that it's real good

God! All that for one song! D@mn it all!

Go Dawgs !But I Do love Dolly

Dolly in 24

SHE IS AWESOME HE WAS PAST MAKING HIS POINT, SHE GOT VERY NERVOUS JUST WAITING FOR HIM TO JUST GET HER ON STAGE WHERE SHE SHINES MOST.

The title should be changed to "Governor reads entire wikipedia page on Dolly Parton, students sleep heavily"

"a person who needs no introduction"....proceeds to give a 7 minute introduction

At Colgate 2002 we got charlie rose for my speaker. Fml

@wg4580 hell ya!

Forward to 7:15 for the good stuff!

She been on cash walker show

Her husband is the luckiest man in World History!

skip to 7:10 to avoid hearing the governor drone on

What if there were a trap door under the podium that an impatient audience member had the remote control to. Hard telling what might happen!

7:09

Video title should be changed to "Phil Bredesen rambles on for 5 minutes." Edit: 7 minutes he's still going.

8:34 dude checking out dolly's azz. sweet.

what are 5 things you never hear in tennesee 5, wraslins fake 4 ill have the egg white omlette instead of biscuits and gravy 3 we cant do that you are my sister/brother 2 i got it all saved on disk/cd/hard drive 1 HOME OF THE 12 TIME NATIONAL CHAMPIONS FOOTBALL TEAM

"she needs no introduction so let me introduce her for 8 minutes"

@whittvet since he won the heisman

Come back when you're that age, and show us what you look like, and if you have the energy to perform like that. If you want to challenge her, she can play the banjo at the same time she sings the song; Can you ? What were you doing in 1959 ? She was making records. Apparently somebody bought them, as she's credited with selling 100 million. Most folks age some as the years go by. She's no exception. Let's see--- Your state and town is known for a cracked bell.

@mudhawg97 it is a proven fact that except florida the rest of the country is biased against the sec. I always root for the highest sec team at the end. i even rooted for auburn that one year. Dixie needs to stick together

I think she is singing live, maybe I am wrong but I think it sounds live and normally when Dolly does lip-sync the vocals are just too perfect. The vocals here certainly sound live as not the best I have heard her sing.

I see what you mean, hmm not sure, maybe she was going to start singing and then realised she was too early in relation to the music and so stopped herself? She sang another song called "Try" at the presentation and she sang that live so maybe a bit strange if she sang one live and lip-synced another. Either way, still ove her to bits :-)