Harry Styles Surprises Madison Square Garden Audience with Dolly Parton Tribute

Harry Styles is paying tribute to Dolly Parton.
On Wednesday, Aug. 26, the 32-year-old “As It Was” singer told his fans that the late country music legend “inspired” him during his performance at Madison Square Garden for his Together, Together tour.
“I wanna say a proper ‘Thank you’ to all the musicians over the years that’ve inspired me. Dolly, we love you, thank you so much,” he said to screaming supporters as the arena filled with cheers.

Seconds later, her 1974 hit, “I Will Always Love You” began to play.
Styles didn’t sing along to the song on his microphone, instead asking the audience, which included his fiancée Zoë Kravitz, to dance to the ballad as the venue filled with lights from people holding up their cell phones.
John Mayer also paid tribute to Parton with the same song during his show for SiriusXM at Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett on Wednesday evening. The musician, 48, closed his set with “I Will Always Love You” on guitar before transitioning into his hit song “Gravity.”
Related Stories
The Sweetest Dolly Parton Fan Tributes Around the Globe, from Handwritten Notes to Pitbull Toasts
Dolly Parton Told PEOPLE ‘I Wanted to Tell My Story While I Was Still Alive’ One Year Before Her Death (Exclusive)
Parton died at 80 on Tuesday, Aug. 25 after a “brief battle with cancer,” reps for the singer confirmed to PEOPLE.
Earlier in the day, the “Jolene” singer’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced her death in a video shared to her Instagram account.
“My name is Bryan Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I’m representing the Parton and Owens family today announcing the passing of my aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean, Sister, Sis and Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next,” Seaver said.
Our new app is here! Free, fun and full of exclusives. Scan to download now!
“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality. As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now,” he continued.
After speaking fondly about his family’s “lifetime of beautiful memories,” Seaver concluded, “Rest in peace, Aunt Dolly — Aunt, Granny, Gigi. May God bless Dolly Parton, and may God bless you all. She will always love you.”
In addition to Styles and Mayer, stars throughout the entertainment industry have mourned the loss alongside her fans. Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, and many other musicians paid tribute to the icon.
Dolly Parton for People Magazine by Art Streiber on 10/21/2018 at Greenleaf Studios, California.Art Streiber
Just days before her death, Parton shared a health update in which she acknowledged her recent decline after the March 2025 death of her husband, Carl Dean.
“Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’!” she told PEOPLE on Friday, Aug. 21. “You know me — as I’ve often said — I’ve dreamed myself into a corner and I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I’m gonna keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Throughout her career, Parton sold more than 160 million albums worldwide, and was heavily involved in philanthropy, most notably her Imagination Library, which mails one book a month to children from birth until kindergarten.
Her Dollywood amusement park located in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., will remain open, with park execs saying one of her wishes was that “the show must go on.”