This CMA Awards moment feels fitting to revisit, given it took place the first time a woman solo-hosted the awards show, and this year, Lainey Wilson will be the first woman to solo-host the show in 34 years. On November 19, Lainey Wilson will hit the stage to host the 59th annual CMA Awards. It will be a big night for Wilson as she leads the pack alongside Ella Langley and Megan Moroney for the most nominations, with each woman receiving six nominations. It’s fitting that the girl power found among the nominees also follows suit in the history Wilson will make, being the first woman to solo-host the awards show in over three decades. Yes, you read that right: a woman has not solo-hosted the CMA Awards since 1991: “It’s a big deal. I mean, I’ve got some big ole shoes to fill. So I don’t take it lightly.” Lainey Wilson shared in a press conference kicking off CMA week. View this post on Instagram Reba McEntire was the last woman to solo-host the awards show in 1991, hosting herself in year two of her three-year stint. In the other two years, Reba handled hosting duties; she was joined by Randy Travis in 1990 and by Vince Gill in 1992. And prior to Reba McEntire solo-hosting the CMA Awards, she was preceded by only one woman: The one and only Dolly Parton. The “9 to 5” singer made country music history when she became the first woman to host the CMA Awards on her own in 1988. View this post on Instagram Given that Lainey Wilson has shared she hopes to bring some humor back to the CMA Awards, hoping that they will let her poke some fun at her friends in the audience, it only feels right to revisit an iconic moment from Dolly’s time hosting, where she went into the crowd, leaving an audience member blushing. Dolly Parton about gave a young Randy Travis a heart attack right there on live national television when she sat on his lap and proceeded to tell him if she were younger and single, it would be game over for him: “Folks, you know that this guy is single. And I just want you to know that if I was 20 years younger and I was single, and you liked little blondes with the big hair and big… ideas, then I would be giving you a run for your money!” Randy took it really well, as I imagine any man would if Dolly Parton was sitting in his lap, laughing right along with everybody else in the audience that night. They wanted to mess with him a little bit, since Randy was still relatively new to the country music scene, and that year he was nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Single of the Year, Song of the Year, and Male Vocalist of the Year, which he won. The following year, in 1989, Travis was nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Album of the Year, and presented the award for Female Vocalist of the Year. And Dolly was ready to prank him again, sneaking up on Randy as he walked out to present the award, and it turned into a hilarious little conversation that I really wish we had more of on these shows. You know… showing a little personality: “Hi Randy, I just wanted to come out here and make sure that you didn’t need me.” And, as he’s clearly in on the joke this time and what’s happening with Dolly, he responds with the perfect line: “Well, I might. It’s a tough job.” Iconic. Hopefully, we get some more playful moments like from the CMA Awards this year, as Wilson is very close friends with folks like Luke Combs and Hardy, who, I am sure, would love to be in on a prank for the rest of the audience to join. We will find out very soon as the CMA Awards will air on November 19 at 7 PM CST on ABC, or you can watch the following day on Hulu.The post CMA Awards 1988: Dolly Parton Leaves A Young Randy Travis Blushing After Sitting On His Lap Mid-Show first appeared on Whiskey Riff.