A 12-year-old with down syndrome and a Dolly Parton super fan had his dreams come true when the country music icon invited him to join her in song.
Gage Blackwell hung out with Parton at a restaurant residing within her Dollywood theme park and got to chat and even sing with his idol. The union came about after someone at Gage’s school posted a video to his public Facebook page featuring the young boy gushing over Parton saying how he would love to one day have the opportunity to meet her. His mother, Lynnae, caught wind of the video and reached out to one of Parton’s business associates who quickly arranged the meet-and-greet.
The eight-time Grammy winner waltzed into the room and immediately asked upon spotting Gage, “Is that my boyfriend? Is that Kenny Rogers? You look like Kenny Rogers! Did anybody ever tell you that?” She then made his dream come true when she began singing the chorus of her and Rogers’ famed “Islands in the Stream.”
https://www.facebook.com/GageBBlackwell/videos/828720033882241/
Gage was noticeably shy at first but began to open up with a little help from Parton and her signature charm. The young boy smiled ear-to-ear while the two sang along to some of country music’s most iconic beats including Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.”
“There are truly no words to explain how much it meant to Gage, myself and my family for him to get to meet Dolly in person,” Lynnae told TODAY. “Dolly made him feel like the most important person in the room…She was so amazing to just embrace him the way she did. He will never forget her kindness and, as his mother, I will always be grateful for the love she showed to my wonderful son.”
Watch their duet to “Ring of Fire” in the video below and be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!