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CNN Live Event/Special
CNN Headlines: Remembering The Life And Legacy Of Dolly Parton; CNN: Darline Graham Wins South Carolina GOP Senate Runoff; Canada Retaliates With "Dollar For Dollar" Tariffs On American Goods; State Media: Iran Seeks Return To June Agreement With U.S. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired August 26, 2026 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:28]
BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Brad Smith and this is CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. Glad that you're with us.
Let's get this started.
This morning, remembering legendary country music star and humanitarian Dolly Parton, seen here winning country music entertainer of the year in 1978. Parton rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most beloved, unifying and philanthropic stars in America. She died Tuesday at 80 years old at her home in Nashville.
This hour, we remember her life, her legacy across music, television, movies, and more. Her publicist says that the trailblazing singer songwriter died after a brief battle with cancer. She follows in death her husband of 59 years, Carl Dean, who passed last year.
Dolly has spoken frankly of her own health struggles in recent years. Tributes, they began pouring in yesterday after her family announced the sad news.
Here is part of that statement.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRYAN SEAVER, DOLLY PARTON'S NEPHEW: Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens. Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest.
Rest in peace, Aunt Dolly and Granny Gigi.
May God bless Dolly Parton and may God bless you all. She will always love you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Dolly Parton was a fixture in pop culture, in a decades-long career spanning nearly 70 years. She wrote more than 3,000 songs, released 49 albums, won 11 Grammy awards and an Emmy, earned two Oscar nominations, and became one of the most successful country crossover artists of all time.
Here she is, winning her lifetime achievement award in 2016.
And CNN's Meena Duerson takes a look back at Dolly Parton's storied legacy
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DOLLY PARTON, LEGENDARY MUSICIAN: Well, I wanted to be a star, but I always thought of a star more of as a singing star.
MEENA DUERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Legendary country music star, businesswoman, actor and philanthropist Dolly Parton has died.
Parton was born one of 12 kids in a one-bedroom cabin in East Tennessee.
PARTON: I was never ashamed of my background, even though we grew up very poor.
DUERSON (voice-over): Those humble beginnings would shape her life in music.
PARTON: I think we become who we are when were young.
DUERSON (voice-over): By 21, Parton broke into the country billboard charts for the first time with her single "dumb blond".
(PARTON SINGING)
DUERSON (voice-over): It was one of the first milestones in a career that spanned seven decades. She released over 50 albums, winning 10 Grammys and garnering 55 Grammy nominations, the most ever for a female country artist.
PARTON: Get your scummy hands off of me!
DUERSON (voice-over): Her first of two Oscar nominations for best original song was in 1981 for the song "9 to 5" from her movie of the same name.
(PARTON SINGING)
DUERSON (voice-over): She received an honorary Oscar in 2025 for her humanitarian work.
PARTON: It makes me want to dream up new ways to help lift people up. And isn't that what were supposed to be here for.
DUERSON (voice-over): In 2024, "Rolling Stone" magazine ranked her 1973 hit "Jolene", the number one greatest country song of all time.
(PARTON SINGING) DUERSON (voice-over): In a song she wrote around the same time as "Jolene", "I Will Always Love You," eventually got its own iconic cover.
PARTON: And then Whitney, of course, made it into a worldwide hit.
(MUSIC)
DUERSON (voice-over): Beyond her music, Parton created a business empire.
PARTON: Dollywood in the heart of the Smokeys.
DUERSON (voice-over): Opening Dollywood, a theme park near her hometown in East Tennessee that employs thousands and has invigorated the surrounding area.
PARTON: Hundreds and hundreds of businesses have sprung up, and thousands and thousands of jobs. I just really think business. I get that from my dad.
DUERSON (voice-over): Parton supported many charitable causes, including childhood literacy, through her Imagination Library.
[05:05:02]
PARTON: We've officially gifted over 200 million books to children.
DUERSON (voice-over): Dolly Parton leaves behind more than iconic music. She leaves a legacy of generosity, humility, and a reminder to be kind to one another.
PARTON: I think everybody should be treated with respect. I hope that everybody gets a chance to be who and what they are.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: Though Dolly may be gone, she's left the world a last gift, an unreleased final song that won't be unveiled for another two decades. A recording of the song is locked in a wooden box at Dollywood, with a sign saying it will be opened on January 19th, 2046. Dolly Parton's 100th birthday.
Parton's family says at her request, they will hold a small private memorial service. Friends and fans are encouraged to share their tributes and memories on social media by tagging at Dolly Parton or leaving a message on her website.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Parton's Imagination Library. Tributes for the singer have been pouring in as the fellow country crossover star Taylor Swift shared a message on Dollys passing, saying in part, "A world without Dolly doesn't feel possible, real or right. But because of the eternally generous way that she spent her time on this earth and the countless lives that she changed for the better, her legacy will be an everlasting one." Beyonce paid tribute to Parton with a message on her website. The grammy award winning singer wrote, "You were the barometer. The north star, bold and brilliant, talented and tenacious." They worked together recently when Beyonce covered Parton's hit song "Jolene" on her album "Cowboy Carter".
And Reba McEtire penned an emotional post online, remembering her buddy, writing, "Thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth. We will remember and cherish every memory and every note that you ever played and sang. Thank you Lord, for Dolly."
In a series of posts on X, Kacey Musgraves expressed her grief, noting the world feels a lot less sparkly all of a sudden, but she seemed to take comfort that Parton was reunited with her beloved late husband, Carl Thomas Dean.
We will have much more on the life and legacy of Dolly Parton throughout the hour.
Another big story that we are tracking, the results from last night's election in South Carolina. CNN projects the new senator from South Carolina, Darline Graham, will advance to the general election in November. Now, she will defeat Congressmember Ralph Norman in the Republican Senate runoff. Graham has held the seat for about six weeks, appointed after the death of her brother, longtime Senator Lindsey Graham.
Darline Graham will face Democratic nominee Dr. Annie Andrews in November.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. DARLINE GRAHAM (R-SC): I want to thank President Trump for all of his support and his endorsement. Mr. President, Lindsey truly loved you and viewed you as one of his closest friends. I appreciate that bond and appreciate all that you have done for our country. Our victory would not have been possible without you and we are truly grateful. South Carolina is truly Trump country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Democrat Annie Andrews took aim at Senator Graham late Tuesday, saying, "No appointment, endorsement or family connection entitles anyone to six years in the United States Senate. The seat belongs to the people of South Carolina."
Let's turn now to the economy. Canada has promised a dollar-for-dollar response to the Trump administration's new 50 percent tariffs on many Canadian goods. Canada's new plan would affect about $20 billion worth of American goods. Canada says that the tariffs will start on September 8th, the day after Labor Day. They will cover hundreds of products, including a 50 percent levy on U.S. steel and aluminum.
Elsewhere, internationally, we are following new developments in the war with Iran. Iran is reportedly looking to revive the memorandum of understanding that it signed with the U.S. in June. According to an unidentified source, Iran's semiofficial news agency reports that the request was passed along through a Pakistani intermediary and included a desire to return to the terms laid out for the Strait of Hormuz.
We're also learning that after weeks of negotiations, Iran and Oman are proposing a temporary shipping route through the strait. The Iranian and Omani foreign ministries say that the two nations discussed a framework to facilitate the corridor and to clear it of mines. This is all happening, as President Trump says, all mines in the Strait of Hormuz have been removed or detonated, and continues to insist the U.S. controls the strait.
Straight ahead on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, more on the life and legacy of Dolly Parton and the inspiration behind the many songs that she penned.
Stay with us. You're watching CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:14:30]
SMITH: "Joline," "9 to 5" and "Coat of Many Colors", these global hits not only cemented Dolly Parton status as an iconic singer songwriter, they also spoke to her power as a captivating storyteller through her music. But where did the inspiration come from?
Tom Foreman has more on the meaning behind her legendary lyrics.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(DOLLY PARTON SINGING)
[05:15:00]
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Before the fame, the philanthropy, the dazzling Dolly-ness of it all, Dolly's songs of working people we're everything.
(DOLLY PARTON SINGING)
FOREMAN (voice-over): Her lyrics told the tales of their struggles on the job, in the home.
(DOLLY PARTON SINGING)
FOREMAN (voice-over): And of course, in the heart. Many of her most memorable tunes, including her greatest commercial hit were about failed relationships.
(DOLLY PARTON SINGING)
FOREMAN (voice-over): But there was so much more, songs about jealousy and longing.
(DOLLY PARTON SINGING)
FOREMAN (voice-over): Songs about poverty and pride.
(DOLLY PARTON SINGING)
FOREMAN (voice-over): Her message could be tough too. When white supremacists rose in the news, she took the name Dixie off an attraction at her amusement park. She supported LGBTQ rights and the Black Lives Matter movement.
PARTON: Do we think our little white asses are the only ones that matter?
FOREMAN (voice-over): She promoted reading, access to medical care, education, her career, life and lyrics we're a constant campaign for women's rights.
(DOLLY PARTON SINGING)
FOREMAN (voice-over): She met Richard Nixon, performed for Jimmy Carter, was honored at the Kennedy Center by George W. Bush and turned down the Medal of Freedom from both Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Through it all, she gently pushed away from any partisan claim to her fame.
PARTON: My joke is that my daddy was a Republican, my mom was a Democrat, and I'm a hypo-crat.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Yet even in tumultuous times, she embraced all who wanted to join her in the kindness and caring of the Dolly party.
(DOLLY PARTON SINGING)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: And as exactly 9:25 Eastern Time last night, New York city honored Dolly Parton by lighting up the Empire State Building with pink, sparkly lights. The timing of the lights was a nod to her iconic song "9 to 5".
Still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, an update for you on that massive power outage residents around Gary, Indiana, have been dealing with for nearly two weeks, and tributes from around the globe continue to pour in for the legendary Dolly Parton. We'll hear from folks who knew her well, straight ahead.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:22:37]
SMITH: Dolly Partons dear friend Randy Travis, who is a legendary country music singer and songwriter in his own right, shares memories of the late superstar. Travis and his wife, Mary, told our Erin Burnett how enamored they were with the late singer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST, "OUTFRONT": You've been aware and empathetic in a way that that few truly can about the health struggles that Dolly's had in recent years, her loss of her husband. Can you share what you remember most about her and why -- why you're choosing to tell her story now?
MARY DAVIS, RANDY TRAVIS' WIFE: Well, as you know, Randy has aphasia from that stroke in 2013. So --
BURNETT: Yes.
DAVIS: -- I speak for him. Yes. Dolly, they go way back from, you know, '88 at that CMA when she sat in his lap, and in '89 when she snuck up behind him. And of course, Randy when she walked back off, he's like, you know, it's tough job.
Randy and Dolly always had such a special bond. She was there and moving like a freight train through country music when Randy came on the scene, she just took him under her wing. Always loved and adored him, encouraged him when he said he thought, maybe that's not what he could do or was supposed to be doing. And she was always encouraging him. Randy said working with her was just a dream come true.
I think that she's the one that makes it all easier because of her, you know, the way that she -- well, what she did with people, I mean, she knew how -- she knew how to make them, they were princes and princesses in front of her.
But, she was truly the queen. She was so special and loved Randy to pieces. So, their history together, we saw her in Oklahoma a couple of years back and it was just, you just never felt like there was a moment you weren't with Dolly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: A tribute that pours in continues to be just as touching as the last.
Straight ahead on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, more help on the way for many people displaced by that raging fire in Nevada that has decimated houses, cars, businesses and more. We've got an update for you there.
[05:25:00]
And she said she heard voices telling her to kill her children and herself. That's what one witness said on the stand in the trial of the Massachusetts mom accused of killing her three children. The latest there coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SMITH: It's just about half past the hour. Let's hit the refresh button on our top stories.
CNN projects Senator Darline Graham, the sister of the late Lindsey Graham, will claim the GOP nomination in South Carolina. She defeats Congressmember Ralph.
