Heavenly Duet for a Legend, In a moment that can only be described as divinely orchestrated, two of the world’s most iconic voices — Alan Jackson and Dolly Parton — united to honor the life and legacy of Connie Francis, the beloved queen of 1960s pop, who passed away last week at age 88. As the last note hung in the air, Alan Jackson slowly approached the altar. With his signature humility and accompanied only by a steel guitar and fiddle, he sang “Softly and Tenderly,” dedicating it to “a voice that made the world feel again.” After the duet, Jackson placed a white rose on the casket while Parton gently laid a vintage copy of Francis’s first gold record — “Who’s Sorry Now” — beside it. As the coffin was carried out under sunlight filtered through stained glass, the chapel bells rang out a melody adapted from Connie’s “Mama.”