Dolly Parton sang a 1969 No. 1 hit with Kermit the Frog in 1987; 40 years later, the unlikely duet is winning hearts again

Some television moments survive long after the programme that created them has disappeared from prime time. In October 1987, Dolly Parton welcomed an unusual guest onto her ABC variety show Dolly: Kermit the Frog, performed by Muppets creator Jim Henson. Sitting together on barstools, the pair traded jokes before performing Sly & the Family Stone’s “Everyday People”. Nearly four decades later, the charming performance has resurfaced, offering another glimpse of Parton’s ability to turn an unlikely pairing into memorable television.

Kermit Was Dolly’s Date for the Evening

The performance appeared in the fifth episode of Dolly, broadcast on October 25, 1987. Parton’s ABC variety series had debuted only weeks earlier, on September 27. Kermit appeared during a segment called “Dolly’s Date”. Rather than presenting the performance as a conventional stage duet, the two sat together in a bar setting, joked with each other and eventually began singing “Everyday People”. The Jim Henson Company’s archive provides an unusually direct record of the appearance. Henson’s personal “Red Book” contains an entry dated October 21, 1987, noting the taping of the Dolly Parton show with Kermit. The archive says Henson performed Kermit for the appearance.

The Song Was Already an American Classic

The choice of “Everyday People” carried its own history. Written by Sly Stone, the song was released by Sly & the Family Stone in 1968 and climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969. Parade notes that it became the group’s first chart-topper on the Hot 100. Its message centred on acceptance and people learning to live alongside one another despite their differences. Eighteen years after its chart success, Parton and Kermit gave the song a considerably more playful television treatment. The number was not entirely new territory for Parton either. “Everyday People” had appeared on her 1980 album 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs before the Kermit performance.

‘Dolly’ Brought Together an Unusual Guest List

Parton’s 1987 television series was built around music, comedy and celebrity appearances. Her official website says the ABC programme followed a variety-show format similar to The Carol Burnett Show. Its guest list stretched well beyond country music. During the show's run, Parton welcomed performers and personalities including Oprah Winfrey, Bruce Willis, Tom Selleck, Tammy Wynette and Merle Haggard. Kermit was therefore unusual, but hardly out of place in a programme that thrived on unexpected combinations.

A Small TV Moment That Outlived the Show

The 1987 version of Dolly lasted less than a year, but individual performances from it have continued to circulate decades later. The Parton-Kermit duet is among those being revisited, with Parade highlighting it again in August 2026. There is no elaborate staging or dramatic reveal behind its appeal. It is simply one of America's most recognisable singers sharing a song about acceptance with one of television's most recognisable puppets. That simplicity may explain why the clip still works. “Everyday People” was already 18 years old when Parton and Kermit performed it in 1987. Nearly four decades later, their unlikely duet has proved considerably more enduring than the television series that brought them together.