Tributes to Dolly Parton have been flooding social media, with a host of fellow artists, politicians, actors, fans and more underlining how much the country legend meant to them. During his show a few hours after news broke of Parton's death at the age of 80, Noah Kahan paid a touching homage to the ‘Jolene’ hitmaker.

The Vermont native shared some fond words in honour of Parton at his Salt Lake City, Utah set, with the timing feeling pertinent. Kahan spoke about Parton's impact on his life and the kindness she will be remembered for as he introduced his viral song, ‘Orbiter’, a track that finds him reflecting on various close relationships, but that has blossomed to take on a new meaning for many fans’ experiencing grief.

Kahan began, “God, so I've been coming here for 10 years, and every single time it's an amazing show. And even when I was a small artist playing the depot and playing small venues around the city, you guys have always shown up.
So if you've been watching me since I was, you know, 19 or 20 years old, I want
to say thank you very much”.

He went on, “I want to say that my family's here tonight. My dad, my sister, my brother, their partners are here. I feel like we're all one big family, and I have a hard time accepting praise or, like, when you guys cheer, I turn around to see if you're cheering for someone behind me, and I feel like I care too much about being successful or people thinking I'm talented. And I feel like I find nothing from that when I step off stage. I feel like I'm deserving of being here, and it means a lot to you guys”.

The ‘Stick Season’ singer-songwriter then emphasised his admiration for Parton, “Also, I want to...share my condolences to the family and loved ones of the Dolly Parton”.

He gushed, “She was an inspiration to all of us as musicians, but also as people, and it shows that no matter how big you are, how successful you've been, you can always lead with kindness. I really appreciate that lesson from her. And I hope that we all take that into our lives. The song is called ‘Orbiter’. Thank you so much”.

It's true that, as well as being remembered for her incredible discography of country earworms and smash hits such as ‘9 to 5’ and ‘Islands in the Stream’, Parton's legacy will also revolve around her immense generosity and life-changing philanthropy.

Through initiatives like her Imagination Library, her donations to causes such as the COVID-19 Moderna vaccine and Hurricane Helene relief efforts and so much more, Parton has touched the lives of so many, while also - as Kahan outlined so eloquently - serving as a touchstone for how those with a platform can make a real difference.