Vince Gill Is “Crushed” Over Dolly Parton’s Death—and His Memory of Their Final “I Will Always Love You” Note Will Break Your Heart

Throughout his career, Vince Gill received the chance to honor several stars and icons. Having watched those he admired and called friends pass away, nothing compared to the global icon that was Dolly Parton. With Dolly passing away on Tuesday, the entire entertainment industry took a moment to celebrate her life, career, and generosity. Even Buckingham Palace honored her with a special performance of “9 to 5.” But while recording numerous hits over her career, Gill held his special duet of “I Will Always Love You” as a core memory. 

First written by Dolly in the early 1970s, the singer watched as the song gained a career of its own. Going far beyond her country version, “I Will Always Love You” caught the attention of Whitney Houston, who sent the song to the top of the charts. But for Gill, he never forgot when the CMA Awards called him to perform the track alongside Dolly. 

Jumping at the chance, it quickly became a highlight of Gill’s career. And while over three decades had passed since that moment, Gill used it as a tribute to Dolly. Posting a snippet of the performance, he wrote, “We are all crushed here at our house. One of the most beautiful sounds I’ve ever heard was when Dolly and I sang that last note of ‘I Will Always Love You’ the year we performed it on the CMA Awards.” 

[RELATED: The Real Reason Dolly Parton Never Had Children—and Why She Believed It Was All Part of God’s Plan]

Dolly Parton Found Her Gift Thanks To Whitney Houston

Gaining over 26,000 likes, fans used the comment section as a place to add their own love and respect for Dolly. But after being reminded of the chemistry they shared on stage, one fan insisted, “You better sing at the memorial. It’ll crush me. But we need it.” Another person added, “Your duet is probably my favorite performance of that song.“

Writing over 3,000 songs during her career, Dolly created a catalog most artists could only dream of. But “I Will Always Love You” became something entirely its own. From Dolly and Houston to Gill and countless others, each voice gave the song another life while the words at its center remained Dolly.  

While Dolly’s career started during the 1950s, it wasn’t until she heard Houston’s version that she felt like an authentic songwriter. “That’s when I felt my worth as a songwriter. I thought, ‘This is my gift, and I’m going to do the best I can with it.’” 

And that’s exactly what she did. Using her talents, Dolly didn’t just change the industry – she changed the entire world around her. 

(Photo by Erika Goldring/FilmMagic)

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