Kirby Smart did not put the proper deserved respect on Dolly Parton’s name. It may come back to haunt him as the Georgia Bulldogs roll into Knoxville to play the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday.
Don’t mess with Dolly!
Parton, perhaps the most iconic female country music artist of all-time, is royalty among those who live below the Mason-Dixon Line and especially in east Tennessee. Her legend extends well beyond the south, but it is impossible to not known of her greatness when you are born in Holtville, Alabama in 1975 like the reigning back-to-back national champion head college football coach himself.
Dolly Parton will be in attendance at the SEC East matchup this weekend.
Vols head coach Josh Heupel admitted, with a smile, that her presence adds additional pressure to win. Kirby Smart said that he is familiar with Parton. However, he alluded to the idea that he only knows who she is because her parents would watch the Grand Ole Opry and brushed off her legendary status.
Smart has no idea what is to come. People in Tennessee react to Parton’s presence like tweens react to Taylor Swift. She is the queen. Having her in the building will send Neyland Stadium into a frenzy.
Dolly Parton + Rocky Top = Insanity
And to take things up a notch, Parton recently teased a plan to have the fanbase join her in song on a new episode of Southern Living’s Biscuits & Jam podcast. She is partnering with the University of Tennessee Athletics Department on an exclusive ‘Vols Edition’ of her new album, Rockstar.
It will include a live version of ‘Rocky Top,’ which Parton is going to cut this weekend.
I’m gonna be up there. I’m gonna actually sing ‘Rocky Top’ up there on the 18th… The day they play Georgia.
I’m gonna go up and just be there and just say, ‘hey,’ to everybody, and probably… Probably sing a little bit of ‘Rocky Top’ with the crowd, too.
— Dolly Parton
She previously performed the unofficial fight song for graduates in Knoxville back in 2009. They went bonkers.
Parton hopes that her presence can help to propel Tennessee to victory.
Maybe… Maybe I’ll have a little…little power, I don’t know. Hope they don’t kick me out if they don’t win!
— Dolly Parton
All of the pieces need to come together for the Vols to beat the undefeated Bulldogs on Saturday. That includes the crowd. The Big Orange Nation is going to make it impossible for Georgia to hear themselves think. Having Parton sing ‘Rocky Top’ will make 102,000 fans lose their minds.
Smart has no idea what is about to happen. He’s not worried about it.
Maybe he should be?!