The 2026 MTV VMAs delivered one of those moments that stops a room cold. Kacey Musgraves took the stage at Los Angeles’Peacock Theater in a sparkling pink, feather-trimmed outfit to perform“I Will Always Love You”in tribute to Dolly Parton. Before she sang a note, the big screen played a video of Dolly performing the song herself, a setup that made the whole thing feel less like a segment and more like a handoff.
Parton died Aug. 25 at age 80 after a brief battle with cancer, and the tributes have been steady ever since, from Miley Cyrus to Reba McEntire to Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. Host Snoop Dogg summed up the VMAs moment in one line:“That’s how you honor a legend … we love you, Dolly.”For Musgraves, the performance carried extra weight. She and Parton sang together at the 2019 Grammys, so this was not a stranger honoring an icon. It was a collaborator saying goodbye.
Musgraves also walked into the night nominated for Best Country for her track“Dry Spell,”capping a big year for her. But the performance is what people will remember. The song, written by Parton herself, has lived a dozen lives since 1973, and Sunday night it got one more.
What is your favorite Dolly Parton song of all time? Let us know in the comments.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.