The 2026 VMAs saved their most emotional moment for Dolly Parton. A month after the country legend died on August 25 at age 80, Kacey Musgraves stepped out in a fuchsia gown with feather-lined cuffs and a tower of Dolly-style hair to sing “I Will Always Love You,” the ballad Dolly wrote in 1974. According to Variety, the segment opened with archival footage of Dolly herself singing before Musgraves, 38, carried the song home.
It was Musgraves’ first VMAs appearance in five years, and she made it count. Host Snoop Dogg followed the performance with a simple verdict, per Variety: “Now, that’s how you honor a legend.”
Dolly Parton’s Song, Passed To The Next Generation
The performance was designed to feel like one final duet between the two country stars. Archival footage showed Parton offering some of her trademark humor before singing the opening of “I Will Always Love You.” Musgraves then joined her voice, accompanied by a lone pianist, before finishing the song herself. Unlike the elaborate productions usually associated with the VMAs, the tribute relied on little more than the music and Parton’s presence on the screen. Musgraves kept her eyes closed for much of the performance, and the audience responded with thunderous applause. The moment was especially poignant because Parton had originally written the song as a farewell to her longtime musical partner and mentor, Porter Wagoner, when she decided to pursue her solo career.
“I Will Always Love You” has now outlived its writer, which is exactly what Dolly always said songs were for.
Feathers, big hair, and a room full of tears. Dolly would have recognized every bit of it.
Kacey Musgraves Has Been Honoring Dolly Parton Since Her Death
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The VMAs performance wasn’t the first time Musgraves had paid tribute to Parton. Following the country legend’s death in August, she dedicated her song “Rainbow” to Dolly during her Middle of Nowhere tour and performed Parton’s 1977 hit “Here You Come Again” in Boston. At Madison Square Garden, Musgraves also sang “9 to 5” and spoke emotionally about the loss. “I’m not over it, and I’m never gonna be over it,” she told the audience. “The world definitely lost a light, and it’s hard for me to talk about.”
The connection between the two singers went back years. At the 2019 Grammy Awards, Musgraves joined Parton and Katy Perry for a performance of “Here You Come Again” as part of a star-studded tribute to the country icon. Seven years later, Musgraves found herself honoring the woman she once shared the stage with. The VMAs tribute ended with one final appearance from Parton herself, as archival footage showed her smiling and saying, “I’ll always love you. Bye-bye!” It was a fitting farewell from a singer whose music continues to bring generations of performers together.