Harry Styles marked the opening night of his 30-show residency at Madison Square Garden with a heartfelt tribute to Dolly Parton, who passed away on Tuesday. The singer paused his sold-out performance to acknowledge the country legend’s influence on his career, telling the crowd, “I just wanna give a proper thank you to all the musicians who have inspired me over the years. Dolly, we love you. Thank you so much.”
As Styles performed Parton’s iconic recording of “I Will Always Love You,” the arena transformed into a sea of light from thousands of cell phones. The audience swayed and sang along to the timeless ballad, which Parton originally penned as a tribute to her mentor Porter Wagoner and released in 1974. The song gained renewed prominence when Whitney Houston’s version topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks following her 1992 film appearance.
Styles’ tribute was among countless tributes paid to Parton following her death from cancer at age 80. Musicians, celebrities, and world leaders mourned the loss of the beloved icon, with Parton’s goddaughter Miley Cyrus writing that the world would “see her in all of the most beautiful things.” The performance demonstrated how deeply Parton’s legacy continues to resonate across generations of artists.
Originally reported by Rollingstone →
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