Talk about some of the biggest powerhouses country music has seen – each sharing this same experience that is captivating the internet. We don’t think Carrie Underwood or Kenny Rogers have ever suffered a bad performance – but there was an electricity in the room for this specific performance at the Kennedy Center Honors. When this took place, Dolly Parton sat in the crowd as one of the honorees. She had no idea that the real honor would be “Islands in the Stream,” sung by Carrie Underwood and Kenny Rogers, just for her.

Dolly herself had a special connection to the song. During the many earlier years of performing, Dolly sang the duet with Kenny Rogers too many times to count. It became the anthem and bonded the two as friends, “one of the dearest people I’ve ever worked with,” said Dolly. Now, the country music star that had just risen to fame, Carrie Underwood, was singing this duet dynamically.

The duet did not disappoint! Watch when Dolly sees her special friends take the stage – her shocked, happy expression says it all as she bursts out of her seat. The night at the Kennedy Center Honors was one to remember. Watch the video closely, and you’ll see the president in attendance, too. Play the video below and watch this adorably endearing pair of country singers totally steal Dolly’s heart!