Tedeschi Trucks Band paid tribute to the late Dolly Parton during its two-night engagement at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia, performing a heartfelt version of her song “Wildflowers.”
Susan Tedeschi, Alecia Chakour and Gabe Dixon debuted the cover during Friday’s show and performed it again as part of Saturday’s encore. The tribute came just days after Parton died in Nashville on August 25 at the age of 80.
Parton originally wrote “Wildflowers” and recorded it alongside Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt for their acclaimed 1987 album Trio. The track later became the record’s fourth and final single, climbing to No. 6 on Billboard’s country chart. Inspired by Parton’s childhood memories of roaming through fields, the song uses wildflowers to represent freedom, individuality and her desire to follow her own path.
Tedeschi, Chakour and Dixon performed the song together as a vocal trio on Friday, placing it between “Gin House Blues” and “Anyhow” in the setlist. The band brought the tribute back the following night, opening its two-song encore with “Wildflowers” before ending the concert with “Let’s Go Get Stoned.”
The Wolf Trap shows also featured several other notable musical moments. On Friday, Tedeschi Trucks Band blended Sly & The Family Stone’s “You Can Make It If You Try” into “Everyday People” and connected “Do I Look Worried” with “Shame” before eventually moving into Frank Zappa’s “Willie The Pimp.”
Opening act Lukas Nelson and his band joined TTB for the encore on Friday, helping perform Neil Young’s “Helpless” and “Space Captain,” a song famously associated with Joe Cocker.
Saturday’s concert included the return of “They Don’t Shine,” which had not been performed by the band since February 28, 2020. The song originally appeared on Tedeschi Trucks Band’s 2019 album Signs.
The group also performed The Rolling Stones’ “Loving Cup” alongside “Leavin’ Trunk,” delivered “Ohio” with a tease of “Machine Gun,” and incorporated “Love Has Something Else To Say” into “I Walk On Guilded Splinters.” The 12-member band also covered “Fire and Rain,” performed just one night before James Taylor began a three-show run at Wolf Trap.
Lukas Nelson and his band opened both concerts as part of Tedeschi Trucks Band’s Future Soul 2026 Tour. The tour continues with a show at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, New York.
The band’s performance of “Wildflowers,” featuring Tedeschi, Chakour and Dixon, offered a moving musical tribute to Parton and celebrated a song that remains closely connected to her legacy.If you want, I can also make it.
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