Country music legend Dolly Parton celebrated her 80th birthday on January 19, complete with a surprise birthday present from none other than U2 lead singer Bono, as the state of Tennessee declared the day ‘Dolly Parton Day.’
The Jolene singer posted a heartwarming clip on her Instagram account showing her reaction as she was surprised at home in Nashville by Irish piper Pat Darcy, who was flown in there by Bono and the rest of the members of U2. Darcy treated her to a performance of Happy Birthday on the bagpipes.
Being as quick-witted as she always is, she spoke with the musician regarding his act. She noticed the cake with the label ‘Love. Bono’ on it and said, "That’s a surprise. Are you calling me an old bag?" Darcy hastened to correct her, exclaiming, "n no way at all. You’re looking fantastic."
However, Parton later thanked the Irish rock star via social media, saying, "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." Darcy has also shared that he gifted her a pint of Guinness and even had a "nice chat" with her, declaring that she is exactly who you would hope she would be."
The special birthday celebration included messages of tribute from the world of music. Keith Urban posted one of the early memories, in which he was singing the songs of Parton in childhood, with messages from Lainey Wilson and Shania Twain later going online.
To celebrate the event, Parton released a new 50th-anniversary edition of her 1977 hit Light Of A Clear Blue Morning, performed with Queen Latifah, Reba McEntire, and her goddaughter, Miley Cyrus. The earnings of the song are being directed towards pediatric cancer studies in Nashville.
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