Dolly Parton Reduces Stephen Colbert To Tears With Haunting A Cappella Performance

Stephen Colbert struggled to keep it together as country music legend Dolly Parton broke into song during the Late Show.

Parton delivered an a cappella rendition of Bury Me Beneath The Willow that had Colbert reaching for the tissues.

Are you crying? she asked in the midst of the song, before delivering another verse, then stopping to let Colbert compose himself. Id better hush before you cry yourself to death and cant finish your show.

Thrown off by his own reaction, Colbert laughed as he cried.

Like a lot of Americans, Im under a lot of stress right now, Dolly, Colbert said through both the laughs and the tears. You got under my tripwire right there, Ill tell you right there, that was pretty beautiful.

After he gathered his wits, Colbert said: Isnt it funny that sometimes theres nothing happier than crying?

It cleanses your soul, Parton said. I think water is good to wash it out, thats what tears are for.

The moment happens about five and a half minutes into the interview:

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