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Dolly Parton will not be at Dollywood in person for Friday’s grand opening preview of Dollywood’s highly anticipated NightFlight Expedition.

A Dollywood spokesperson confirmed the news to WVLT, noting that Parton will still be part of the celebration through a video appearance.

“Unfortunately, our Dreamer-in-Chief is unable to join us for tomorrow’s festivities, but she will still take part in the excitement via video,” Wes Ramey said in an emailed statement to WVLT. “We look forward to having you join us to celebrate our newest addition, NightFlight Expedition.”

The new attraction is finally set to open following delays. NightFlight Expedition was originally slated to debut in the spring before the opening was pushed to mid-August.

“I know when we originally set out our ambitious schedule for our largest attraction in our history, NightFlight Expedition,” Eugene Naughton, president of Dollywood Parks and Resorts, previously stated. “Well, we’re going to be having to do a little bit more work to get the ride ready for operation.”

According to the official Dollywood website, NightFlight Expedition is a groundbreaking indoor adventure coaster that combines storytelling, thrills and cutting-edge technology to take riders on an immersive journey through the Smoky Mountains. Guests will soar over mountain landscapes, plunge through rapids, climb rugged ridges and glide across bioluminescent waters, all within a climate-controlled indoor environment. Designed with a moderate thrill level, the attraction is built to appeal to both families and thrill seekers while offering an experience unlike anything else in the world.

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Dollywood will host a special preview event for NightFlight Expedition on August 14, ahead of the attraction’s official opening on August 19.

Parton has also faced some health challenges in recent months. In early May, the country music icon took to social media to announce the cancellation of her Las Vegas residency, which had previously been postponed from 2025, while also offering fans an update on her health.

“First, it’s concerning my health, and I have some good news and a little bad news,” she shared at the time. “The good news is I’m responding really well to meds and treatments and I’m improving every day. Now the bad news is it’s going to take me a little while before I’m up to stage performance level because some of the meds and treatments make me a little bit swimmy headed, as my grandma used to say. And of course I can’t be easy carrying around banjos, guitars and such on five inch heels. And you know that I’m going to be wearing them. Not to mention all those heavy rhinestone outfits, the big hair, my big…personality. Lord, knows those…that would make anybody swimmy headed.” 

Parton encouraged fans to think of her like an “old classic car” that simply needs a little restoration before coming back “better than ever.”

The Country Music Hall of Famer recently appeared at the opening of Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop, taking the stage to officially cut the ribbon on the Cornersville, TN travel stop.  

The post Dolly Parton Won’t Attend Dollywood’s NightFlight Expedition Preview in Person appeared first on Country Now.

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Reba McEntire and her fiancé Rex Linn are pushing their wedding plans back once again, as they continue to find time for the big day in their busy schedules.

The longtime couple got engaged on Christmas Eve in 2024 on their Tennessee ranch, but have yet to tie the knot. They have stated on multiple occasions that they are in no rush and would prefer to enjoy their engagement period rather than rush down the aisle.

They first reveled they had postponed the celebration back in February when the country music icon spoke on Live From E! while walking the red carpet of the 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards. During the interview with E! News, McEntire blamed their jam-packed filming schedules, including the NBC sitcom they co-star on, Happy’s Place.

“We’re still waiting on a third season pickup from Happy’s Place,” McEntire said at the time. “And Rex got picked up on Stick with Owen Wilson, so that pushed the wedding back.”

She went on to explain that Linn has always been big on putting their careers first, often reminding her that “work comes first,” especially when new opportunities come their way.

A new update from a conversation with PEOPLE indicates that work has caused another delay in their wedding plans.

“We’re just waiting until we have an open spot to have the wedding,” McEntire told the outlet. “Get it planned and print those invitations.”

Her Happy’s Place co-star Belissa Escobedo echoed that statement, pointing out that the couple are “two of the busiest people” and are “always on a new job, something.”

The couple may still be figuring out when they’ll say “I do,” but they already know where they want the celebration to take place. McEntire and Linn have previously said they plan to get married at their Tennessee ranch so that their animals can be a part of the big day.

“We’re going to have to have dogs there. I have two granddogs, Watson and Belle, so they may be the ring bearers or something like that, but we have to have our animals in there,” McEntire told Extra.  “We’ve got longhorns and donkeys, horses and everything there at the place, cats. We have a lot of fun with them.”

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The “I’m A Survivor” singer has also made it clear that she and Linn aren’t planning an overly traditional celebration. Instead, the couple has described their future wedding as a “nontraditional” event that will be filled with close friends, family, plenty of food and, most importantly, a lot of fun.

“A Reba/Rex wedding is going to be very different,” the Reba star told PEOPLE in December. “It’s going to be low-key, lots of fun, lots of people, lots of food. Our big motto is just have fun.”

The couple has appeared together in several television shows and movies over the years, including Happy’s Place, the ABC drama Big Sky, the Lifetime movie Reba McEntire’s The Hammer, Young Sheldon and more.

The post Reba McEntire Shares New Update on Wedding Plans With Rex Linn as Busy Schedules Continue to Delay Big Day appeared first on Country Now.

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To understand what happened to the Band Perry, it’s important to go back to the beginning. Continue reading…​Country Music News – Taste of Country

To understand what happened to the Band Perry, it’s important to go back to the beginning. Continue reading…​The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs

Country Music Hall of Famer George Jones will be honored on what would have been his 95th birthday with a special celebration at The Nashville Palace.

Dubbed “The Possum’s” 95th Birthday Celebration,” the event will take place Sunday, September 13, 2026, beginning at 4 p.m. A yet-to-be-announced lineup of artists will gather in the venue’s “Randy Travis Room” to celebrate Jones’ enduring legacy and commemorate his milestone birthday.

“George Jones remains one of the most beloved country music singers of all time and I could not let this birthday milestone go by and not celebrate,” Nancy Jones, widow of the late George Jones, shared. “George’s actual birthday is the 12th, but that falls on a Saturday and so many of my friends are out touring and making a living, so I decided to make the event the next day so they could come and be part of it. For the people that get tickets, they are gonna love this show! So many of George’s friends are coming to celebrate with us.”

The birthday celebration will also give back, benefiting Concerts 4 A Cause and The George Jones Scholarship at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), continuing Jones’ legacy by supporting both charitable initiatives and the next generation of musicians. 

“We’ve had the opportunity to work with Nancy before, helping raise money for two officers and their families following the tragic ambush in Huntsville, Alabama,” Josh Bleidt, founder of Concerts 4 A Cause, added. “So when this opportunity came along, it fell right in line with one of our main objectives—supporting music education. We’re honored to work alongside Nancy again, celebrate George’s incredible legacy and help invest in the next generation of songwriters.”

Speaking about the event’s charitable impact, Jones shared, “The proceeds of this birthday celebration are going to two different organizations that support country music. First, Concerts 4 a Cause, which helped me raise money for two police officers in Huntsville, Alabama, that got ambushed and shot just before our big Emmy-award winning tribute show a few years ago. The second will be The George Jones Scholarship at MTSU, where they have a Life and Music of George Jones class. I want to make sure George’s legacy continues through the next generation and the best way to do that is to help the college that is teaching students about George’s music.” 

Tickets will be available to the public beginning Wednesday, August 12, 2026, with several seating options available. General admission tickets are priced at $50, with just 400 available, while rail seating is $75. VIP tables accommodating four guests begin at $1,000. Those interested in sponsorship-level VIP tables can inquire by contacting Josh at josh@concerts4acause.org. 

George Jones remains one of country music’s most influential and enduring voices, leaving behind a catalog of timeless hits including “The Grand Tour,” “The Race Is On,” “White Lightnin’” and the iconic “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” A Texas native affectionately known as “The Possum,” Jones helped shape the sound of country music and continues to influence generations of artists who followed in his footsteps. 

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