Brad Paisley struggled to contain his emotions while honoring Dolly Parton just a few days after her death at age 80. During his concert in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the country singer reflected on their 2005 duet, “When I Get Where I’m Going,” and admitted that the song about death and heaven now carries a heartbreaking significance he never imagined when they recorded it more than 20 years ago. As Paisley became visibly choked up, the audience at Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater responded with loud cheers.
Paisley performed “When I Get Where I’m Going” during his Thursday, August 27, concert before sharing the story behind Parton’s involvement in the song. “When I recorded that song and sent it to Dolly, I said, ‘A couple of people in my life I’ve lost, and I didn’t know if this would relate to you.’”
Parton immediately recognized the emotions contained in the song and agreed to lend her voice to it. “And she immediately said, ‘Yes, let me sing on that,’ and did,” Paisley recalled.
The 53-year-old singer then became visibly emotional as he considered how the duet’s message had changed following Parton’s death on Tuesday, August 25. “I never thought it would be about her, but it is,” he told the crowd. “It’s everything she believed, and we will always love you, Dolly.”
Country Singer’s Dolly Parton Tribute Moves The Crowd
Paisley’s words were followed by an on-screen tribute to his longtime friend and collaborator. A smiling photograph of Parton appeared behind him alongside the message, “We Love You, Dolly.”
Several additional images of Parton, including pictures of her with Paisley, were shown throughout the performance.
Kimberly Williams-Paisley Recalls The ‘Dolly Effect’
Paisley’s wife, actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley, also shared her own memories of working with Parton. The “Father of the Bride” star appeared in an episode of the Netflix anthology series “Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings,” which transformed the stories behind Parton’s music into individual episodes.
Williams-Paisley worked with Parton on “Jolene” and recalled battling difficult weather while filming a scene outside. “Years later, I got to work with her on her Heartstrings series for @netflix. We had a scene together in ‘Jolene’ outside in a bandstand,” she explained.
“On the day we filmed, there were crazy winds and sideways rain,” she continued. “We were trying to keep a strict schedule, and so we soldiered on in the storm. My hair, my wardrobe, my script pages were flying every which way as we got ready to shoot.”
However, the conditions appeared to have little effect on Parton when she arrived. “When Dolly arrived, it was like the storm stopped, but only around her,” Williams-Paisley wrote. “She glided across the stage, looking gorgeous and prepared as always, with not ONE HAIR out of place. It must have been the Dolly effect.”
She concluded her tribute with a message that echoed her husband’s words from the stage. “Dolly will always live on in her music and in our hearts,” she said. “And we will always love her.”
Dolly Parton Died After A Brief Cancer Battle
Parton died on August 25 at age 80. A representative for the “Jolene” singer confirmed that she died following a “brief battle with cancer.” The specific type of cancer was not disclosed.
News of her death came only days after Parton spoke publicly about the health problems she had been experiencing following the death of her husband, Carl Dean. “As I’ve shared in video messages throughout the past year, I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,” Parton told PEOPLE on August 21.
She explained that she had endured serious medical struggles before and recalled being sidelined for several months during the early 1980s. “You know, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to manage something like this,” she said.
“Back in the early ‘80s, I was down for several months with female issues, and I was struggling with my weight at the time too, so it’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health,” Parton added.
Country Icon Continued Working Through Health Problems
Despite the concerns surrounding her condition, Parton remained focused on completing the projects she still hoped to bring to life. She acknowledged that social media had magnified public interest in her health but maintained that she was continuing to heal and work.
Earlier in the month, Parton appeared virtually at the grand opening of Dollywood’s newest attraction. The singer had initially been expected to travel from Nashville to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, for the event. However, she explained during her video appearance that she had been experiencing dizziness and dehydration, and her doctors ultimately advised her not to make the trip.
The virtual appearance would become one of Parton’s final public engagements.
