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Kacey Musgraves sang Dolly Parton’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ to honour the late music legend after her death last month.
Pre-recorded due to her Middle of Nowhere Tour schedule, Musgraves’ performance started with Parton introducing the 1974 track.
“I’d like to leave you fellas with a little bit of advice,” Parton said in the clip. “Don’t criticize your wife’s judgment. You just remember who she married. Just kidding you. There’s a lot of truth in that and I would also like to say about life, I hope it treats you real kind and I hope that you have all that you ever dreamed of.”
From there, Parton started to sing the popular song, with Musgraves joining in and eventually taking it solo.
To further embed the ode to Parton, Musgraves donned a pink sparkly dress, big hair and slick purple eyeshadow. A vision in her own right, the attention to detail in honouring such a prominent figure in the industry was duly noted.
Dolly Parton died aged 80 after a short battle with cancer. Her contribution to music, philanthropy and larger-than-life personality will forever be remembered and the heaviness of her loss has been felt worldwide. Artists have been honouring Parton ever since the news broke, with ‘I Will Always Love You’ a firm favourite to show their appreciation for her craft.
Kacey Musgraves delivers a moving performance of “I Will Always Love You” in tribute to Dolly Parton at the 2026 #VMAs. https://t.co/RCuEiM0G8n
— Kacey Musgraves Access (@KaceyAccess) September 28, 2026
Musgraves, who is currently on her Middle of Nowhere Tour, was up for a VMA herself in the Best Country category but lost out to current powerhouse, Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas’.
Musgraves received a well-deserved standing ovation after delivering a perfect tribute, with VMA host Snoop Dogg saying, “Now, that’s how you honor a legend”.
