My First Newport Folk Festival

was in 2015. At the end of that weekend, I told myself (and anyone who would listen) that I’d never miss it again. I’m happy to say I haven’t yet. The once-in-a-lifetime musical moments and collaborations I’ve witnessed at Fort Adams already feel endless. Today though, there’s only one of these mystical sets on my mind.

For the last decade or so, Newport Folk has announced one artist at a time over the months between the on-sale (and simultaneous sell-out) and the festival. They’ve also become known for special headlining “superjam” style sets. In 2019, one of these mystery announcements was a Saturday closing set titled “♀️♀️♀️♀️: The Collaboration.”

As always, there was much speculation online for months, which eventually continued in-person once the festival began. I used to be very engaged in listening in on the rumor-mill for these types of things. And while I’ve learned over the years that it’s not always better to know everything that’s coming, in this case, I have to admit I received a spoiler prior to the festival.

A few weeks before Newport in 2019, a charity listed online, surely inadvertently, a chance to meet Dolly Parton and Linda Perry at the festival. So my sister and I guessed what was coming. To an extent. But in the end, we never could have anticipated what standing in front of that stage would feel like.

Once we were finally at the festival on that Saturday, we heard about a black, tinted-window SUV being driven through the Fort into the backstage area. We were fairly certain at that point who it belonged to. So once Lucy Dacus wrapped up on the Quad stage, we decided to wait it out at the Fort stage. I remember listening to the guesses being thrown around us as we waited, which I’m sure even included Bruce Springsteen (as is basically tradition - maybe 2027).

Finally, Executive Producer Jay Sweet came out to introduce the set alongside curator Brandi Carlile as Newport’s first-ever all-female headlining collaboration. He told the origin story of the idea, which came about while they celebrated post-festival the year prior. He had invited Brandi to do his job for a set. She accepted, and as he said: “Be careful what you say to this woman...”

“Big Yellow Taxi” - Courtney Marie Andrews (with Brandi Carlile, Molly Tuttle, Candi Carpenter, Yola, and Lake Street Dive)
“Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves” - Yola and The First Ladies of Bluegrass
“Go” - Amy Ray and Lucy Dacus (with Brandi Carlile and Allison Brown)
“If It Makes You Happy” - Sheryl Crow, Maren Morris, Brandi Carlile
“What’s Up” - Linda Perry and Jade Bird (with The Highwomen)
“Both Sides, Now” - Judy Collins and Brandi Carlile
“Highwomen” - The Highwomen, Sheryl Crow, and Yola

The first half of the set was worth the price of admission alone, with a slate of sing-alongs led by legends including Sheryl Crow, Linda Perry, and Judy Collins. Brandi hovered around for the entire set, acting as host, vocalist, and on-stage fangirl all at once. Her own touring band served as the backing band, joined by Jason Isbell on guitar. It was joyful and just plain fun.

After The Highwomen (the modern country super-group made up of Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris, and Amanda Shires) sang their eponymous track, the tone seemed to shift and everything felt hushed as we all sensed that this was the moment that whatever was going to happen was going to happen.

You can watch and listen to the entire second half of the set here, with the professionally recorded audio matched to crowdsourced video.

The Highwomen huddled together mid-stage and sang an a capella harmony of just one line: “She’s an eagle when she flies, She’s an eagle when she flies…” An acoustic guitar kicked in and Brandi addressed the crowd:

“Ladies and gentlemen of the Newport Folk Festival, on its 60th anniversary, I bring you one of the greatest surprises ever: the incomparable, unicorn, legend that is…” There’s a beat and Brandi’s voice drops to say it:

“Dolly Parton.”

The crowd erupted. Most of us likely heard her before we saw her: the big, gleeful, Southern “Hello!” as Dolly Parton walked on stage in her golden yellow Nudie-style embroidered pantsuit. Even if you could only hear her voice or only see her rhinestones, there was no mistaking that glowing legend standing in front of us.

The most disbelief might have been from the four women already on stage, all respected modern country stars and songwriters themselves. Brandi Carlile held her hands above her head, seemingly fully aware of how unbelievable this moment was - despite having made it happen herself.

Dolly Parton and The Highwomen on stage at Newport Folk Fest 2019

Dolly spoke of Rhode Island (“we’re both little but we’re loud!”), the incredible women who already performed, how Brandi asked her to play the festival, Linda Perry, and even congratulated Maren Morris on her newly announced number 1 song (appropriately titled “GIRL”).

“Eagle When She Flies” - Dolly Parton and The Highwomen
“Just Because I’m a Woman” - Dolly Parton and The Highwomen
“I Will Always Love You” - Dolly Parton and Brandi Carlile
“Jolene” - Dolly Parton and The Highwomen
“9 to 5” - Dolly Parton with all The Collaboration Performers

The Highwomen repeated their a capella intro to “Eagle When She Flies”, and finally Dolly Parton sang for the first time at Newport Folk Festival. I don’t recall exactly, but I’m fairly sure the first words she sang cued up the tears for me. They’d remain right on the edge for the entirety of the set.

I spent most of that first song trying to fully gather the legendary figure and voice standing over us. I can distinctly remember reminding myself to stay in that moment. Because I knew even then, I’d most likely never see her perform again. I took the chance to look around at the crowd, at the crew, at the other artists on stage, and the sun setting behind us. As someone who was a bit later to the country party, I was perhaps more emotional just watching the women I loved and admired have the experience of singing with a lifelong hero.

“I love being up here with all this girl power. I love to see us do good!”

"Just Because I'm a Woman" followed, after Dolly told the story of its origin some 53 years earlier. It was remarkable to feel the words she wrote so long ago still resonate so fully. It’s a song about how the world forgives men for the same things it punishes women for. It feels timeless but urgent still. Dolly unapologetically told these stories her entire career, often with a smirk and a wink. It didn’t pass me by that the four women singing it alongside her have taken up that legacy in their own work.

Listening to Dolly speak between songs was like attending a TED talk, a Sunday service, and a stand-up show all at once. Her wit, her humor, and her warmth kept the crowd enraptured. When she laughed, it filled the field, the harbor, and beyond.

“I’m talking my head off, and their heads off, and your head off!”

Next, the rest of The Highwomen left the stage for Dolly and Brandi.

“This is a song that’s been really good to me,” Dolly said. “But it was just a little song that I felt from my heart, and I’ve asked Brandi if she’d join me on this one.” Brandi joked: “I had to think about it for a minute.”

And that’s when the tears fully flowed. Dolly took the first verse. At 73 at the time, she could still sing. Like really sing. She sounded like Dolly. Maybe I didn’t quite expect it. But it was overwhelming to hear that one-of-a-kind voice singing one of its most iconic songs.

Dolly Parton and Brandi Carlile singing on stage at Newport Folk 2019

They harmonized the chorus and Brandi took the second verse, adding more than a bit of Whitney to the mix. They sang to each other until the third verse, when Dolly addressed us directly, looking down at us like someone all-knowing. And it’s this moment I hope I can hold onto forever:

“Now - I hope life will treat you real kind and I hope that you have all that you ever dreamed of. ”

During the last chorus, Dolly pulled Brandi in close. For a moment it looked like the unflappable woman I’d followed for years and never seen flustered, nervous, or emotional might have finally met her a moment she couldn’t match. But looking back at the video now, I think she might have been doing exactly what I was doing: locking that moment in her mind forever.

Next was “Jolene.” They were in full character and Dolly ended by adding “Jolene, you shameless Hussy!” to great applause and laughter.

And then "9 to 5" pulled back out every woman from The Collaboration, 20 of them if I counted right, back on stage and the whole thing became a party. They danced, they beamed, they shared microphones, hugs, and disbelief. Watching my own video back from that song, glad to say it looks like I was fully in it too.

When it was over, I didn't want to move. I've felt that way at Newport before — the reluctance to let a moment end by physically leaving it. But this was different. This one felt like it mattered beyond the weekend, beyond the festival. Newport has frequently made me feel like I witnessed something that will never, ever happen again. That Saturday in 2019, I knew it was true. And this week in 2026, now we know it for sure.

Dolly Parton has always been easy to love and I think somehow still underestimated or undervalued. She spent her entire career being more and doing more than people expected and making it look effortless.

I walked away from that stage eventually, thinking about her not just as a legend, but as proof that by being exactly who you are, by being kind, by saying yes, you can do great things. That you can be great. That you can make others great. Or at least make them feel great for a little while. And that you can be little AND be loud.

When “9 to 5” was over, she walked down that line of women on stage and greeted every single one of them individually. When she got to the end, she turned around and said, unexpectedly, “How about we all do a little bit more? One more chorus!” And so we did. One more chorus.

The entire set I was thinking about how I never wanted it to end. And apparently, neither did she. When they finally did sing the last line for good, she hugged Brandi, blew the crowd kisses, and said: