Country musician Vince Gill performed an emotional live tribute to Dolly Parton in Kansas City following the singer's death at age 80.
Gill sang I Will Always Love You during a concert at the Midland Theatre on Thursday, August 27, just days after the music world learned of Parton's passing.
The two performers previously recorded a popular duet of the iconic song in 1995 and performed it together on stage at the Country Music Association Awards that same year.
Concert Tribute in Kansas City
According to reports by People magazine, Gill spoke to the audience before taking the stage to sing the classic ballad. He revealed that he and his family were heartbroken when they received the news of Parton's death.
He told concertgoers that while the track became a global phenomenon through Whitney Houston, he and Parton had shared their own special history with their duet version. Parton wrote the song in 1973 before Houston topped charts worldwide with her 1992 rendition for the movie soundtrack of The Bodyguard.
During the Kansas City performance, Gill was unable to hold back his emotion at several moments as he sang for the audience. Video clips captured by fans showed the crowd cheering warmly and applauding him at the end of the song.
Social Media Farewell and Lasting Memory
Prior to his concert appearance, Gill paid tribute to Parton on Instagram by sharing a video clip from their joint performance at the 1995 CMA Awards.
In his social media caption, Gill wrote that everyone at his home was heartbroken over her passing. He added that one of the most beautiful sounds he had ever heard was when he and Parton sang the final note of I Will Always Love You together at the CMA Awards show.
Private Funeral and Nashville Tributes
Parton's family members were left heartbroken as they gathered for her burial, saying their final goodbyes during a private ceremony held in Nashville, Tennessee.
Following her death, officials and community leaders introduced a plan to rename the Nashville airport after Dolly Parton to honor her legacy and decades of cultural contributions.
Both Parton and Gill spent decades as central figures in Nashville, the historic capital of the country music industry, where both artists were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry.
