He became visibly emotional while addressing fans following a rendition of the stars’ duet “When I Get Where I’m Going” on Aug. 27
Credit: Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty; Jason Kempin/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Brad Paisley honored Dolly Parton at his Connecticut concert just two days after her death at age 80
- He performed their 2005 duet “When I Get Where I’m Going,” and shared that he “never thought it would be about” Parton
- Paisley and his wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, are among the countless stars who have shared heartfelt tributes honoring Parton
Brad Paisley performed a duet with Dolly Parton over 20 years ago, and the song has taken on a new meaning in the wake of her death.
Just two days after the legendary country musician died, the “Whiskey Lullaby” crooner, 53, honored her at his Bridgeport, Conn. concert. Paisley shared a few words about “When I Get Where I’m Going,” his 2005 duet featuring Parton, after playing it to the crowd at Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater on Thursday, Aug. 27.
Remembering how the stars’ collaboration came to be during the show, Paisley told fans, “When I recorded that song and sent it to Dolly, I said, ‘A couple of people in my life I’ve lost, and I didn’t know if this would relate to you.’ ”
“And she immediately said, ‘Yes, let me sing on that,’ and did,” the performer recalled of Parton. He then became visibly choked up, and the crowd cheered loudly.
Paisley then shared that since Parton’s death days earlier, the song about death and heaven has taken on a different meaning that he never anticipated.
“I never thought it would be about her, but it is,” he said of the duet with Parton. “It’s everything she believed, and we will always love you, Dolly.”
A photo of the late country icon smiling then appeared on screen, with text that read, “We Love You Dolly.” Several more photos of Parton alone and with Paisley appeared on the screen during the Thursday performance of “When I Get Where I’m Going.”
Parton died on Tuesday, Aug. 25, at age 80. A rep for the “Jolene” singer told PEOPLE that she died following a “brief battle with cancer.” The type of cancer was not disclosed.
Paisley is one of several stars to pay tribute to Parton onstage since her death.
On Friday, Aug. 28, Kacey Musgraves honored the late singer-songwriter with a rendition of her song “Here You Come Again” during a show at Boston’s TD Garden. Before singing “Here You Come Again,” Musgraves, 38, also performed her own track “Rainbow” and dedicated it to Parton.
Beyond the stage, countless other stars have shared tributes honoring Parton on social media, including Paisley’s wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley.
“I first met Dolly Parton when she and Brad recorded ‘When I Get Where I’m Going.’ She was immediately approachable, funny, kind, and generous,” the 54-year-old actress wrote on Instagram on Tuesday. “And her voice! Well, it pierced my soul in the best way, and added so much to an already beautiful song.”
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Credit: Bryan Bedder/Getty
Williams-Paisley also opened up about her experience filming an episode of the Netflix series Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings that brought the story of “Jolene” to life.
“Years later, I got to work with her on her Heartstrings series for @netflix. We had a scene together in ‘Jolene’ outside in a bandstand,” she explained. “On the day we filmed, there were crazy winds and sideways rain. We were trying to keep a strict schedule and so we soldiered on in the storm. My hair, my wardrobe, my script pages were flying every which way as we got ready to shoot.”
“When Dolly arrived, it was like the storm stopped, but only around her,” Williams-Paisley wrote. “She glided across the stage, looking gorgeous and prepared as always, with not ONE HAIR out of place. It must have been the Dolly effect.”
The Father of the Bride actress concluded her tribute much like her husband did onstage, writing, “Dolly will always live on in her music and in our hearts. And we will always love her.”
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