The pair released a duet version of the song in 1995 and performed together at the CMA Awards that year
Credit: Terry Wyatt/Getty; Jason Kempin/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Vince Gill performed “I Will Always Love You” in tribute to Dolly Parton on Aug. 27, days after her death at age 80
- Gill recently reflected on their 1995 CMA Awards duet, calling it one of the most beautiful moments of his career
- Stars including Kacey Musgraves, John Mayer and Brad Paisley have also honored Parton with tribute performances onstage this week
Vince Gill is paying tribute to his friend and collaborator Dolly Parton.
During a performance at Kansas City, Mo.’s Midland Theatre on Thursday, Aug. 27, the 69-year-old country star reflected on Parton’s death at age 80 just two days prior.
The “I Still Believe in You” crooner shared that he and his family were “crushed” to learn of Parton’s death, per Taste of Country, before announcing that he was going to perform “I Will Always Love You” — a song that charted in 1995 after he and Parton released a duet rendition.
At certain points during the performance, Gill got choked up as he sang the song made famous by Whitney Houston, and videos captured by fans show the audience cheering for him as he finished.
Reps for Parton previously told PEOPLE that the “Jolene” singer died on Aug. 25 after a “brief battle with cancer.” The type of cancer was not disclosed. Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, first announced her death in a video shared on her Instagram account.
Gill — who is married to singer-songwriter Amy Grant — initially paid tribute to the country legend on Instagram, sharing footage of their performance of “I Will Always Love You” from the 1995 CMA Awards.
“We are all crushed here at our house,” he wrote in the caption. “One of the most beautiful sounds I’ve ever heard was when Dolly and I sang that last note of ‘I Will Always Love You’ the year we performed it on the CMA Awards.”
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Gill 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 Parton’s hit, Musgraves, 38, also performed her own track “Rainbow” and dedicated it to the 9 to 5 star.
John Mayer played a private SiriusXM show on Wednesday, Aug. 26, at Stephen Talkhouse in the Hamptons when — despite shouted requests from the packed crowd for “Jolene” — he opted to perform a rendition of “I Will Always Love You,” soloing on the guitar before transitioning into an encore performance of “Gravity” to close his set.
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Brad Paisley also honored Parton at his Bridgeport, Conn., concert on Thursday, Aug. 27. He shared a few words about “When I Get Where I’m Going,” his 2005 duet with Parton, after playing it to the crowd at Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater.
Remembering how the stars’ collaboration came to be during the show, Paisley, 53, 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.
“I never thought it would be about her, but it is,” Paisley said of the duet with Parton. “It’s everything she believed, and we will always love you, Dolly.”
Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty
Beyond the stage, countless other stars have shared tributes honoring Parton on social media, including Parton’s longtime friend Reba McEntire.
McEntire, 71, posted photos on Instagram of the pair together over the years and began her caption by writing that she had just gotten the news that her “buddy Dolly passed onto the higher and greater side.”
“Dolly, thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth. Your love, your music and you gave so much with your huge huge heart,” she wrote in part. “There will never ever be another you.”
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