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Dolly Parton Brings Goat Onstage During ACM Awards Opening With Garth Brooks

Published May 12, 2023 By Miranda Raye

ACM Awards / Twitter

Garth Brooks Tips His Hat To Dolly Parton In ACM Opening

Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks co-hosted the 2023 ACM Awards on Thursday night (May 11). While Parton has hosted the ceremony before, this was Brooks’ first time ever hosting an awards show.

Brooks opened the ceremony solo. He spoke about the country “G.O.A.T.S.” who set the stage for him and all of the other artists in the room. Some of the legendary acts he named were Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Keith Whitley, Charley Pride, Randy Travis, and Merle Haggard.

From there, Brooks said, “Then you add the last category…time, length of career. People, I’m not so sure that last one doesn’t make the ‘King of Country Music’ a female.“

He then welcomed Parton to the stage, calling her “The G.O.A.T.” while removing his hat in a show of respect.

Dolly Parton Takes The G.O.A.T. Thing To A Hilarious Level

That’s when things took a hilarious turn. Parton took the G.O.A.T thing literally, as she strolled out onstage while tugging a real-life goat behind her in a wagon. The goat’s name was Claire, by the way.

“Are you excited for the big show tonight, Claire?” Parton asked. “I think somebody needs to come take her baaack.”

As someone came onstage to retrieve Claire, Parton kept the joke going, “I’m sorry, that was such a baaad joke.”

Everything got even more hilarious from that point forward. The pair joked about Parton being Brooks’ and his wife Trisha Yearwood‘s “hall pass.”

“I thought I couldn’t love you any more,” Brooks said in response to Parton’s quips.

“She did say I could love you and hung on ya, which is easy to do because he’s so sweet,” Parton teased.

Watch the hilarity unfold in Brooks and Parton’s opening monologue below. They were one funny duo!