Stunning A Cappella “I Will Always Love You” Silences the Ryman Before John Oates Joins In for a Standing-Ovation Finish

Yola stunned a Nashville crowd with her take on “I Will Always Love You.” During the second-ever Rock the Ryman concert, the singer used one of her two alloted songs to pay tribute to the late Dolly Parton.

“If you ever saw me do an interview in my first cycle, you would’ve heard me talk about the late, great Dolly Parton. It’s a tough loss for us all,” Yola told the crowd. “My introduction as a kid in England—in a little village, would you believe—was by my mother. And then I heard a cover of a song of hers, and I was like, ‘I might be able to get in on this party.’”

That song, of course, was Whitney Houston’s version of the iconic song. Yola proceeded to perform her version of Houston’s take on the song, and wowed the crowd in the process.

She sang the first verse totally a cappella, and attendees were totally silent as they took in her incredible voice.

Eventually, show host John Oates joined in alongside his touring band, all of whom were serving as the backing musicians for the evening’s acts. Yola built power throughout each portion of the song, which ended with an enthusiastic standing ovation from the crowd.

John Oates Discusses Dolly Parton’s Impact

Ahead of the concert, Oates told American Songwriter that honoring Parton was a must after he and the other musicians learned of her death.

The fact that Parton died unexpectedly one week before the long-planned event was merely an obstacle that had to be overcome.

“The first thing that happened was Jason [Hanley] from the Rock Hall, said ‘Let’s try to do something,’” Oates recalled. “We’ve been scrambling because we’ve had all our artists and all our artist music, which we’ve been prepping for. And then all of a sudden we got thrown for a little bit of a curve ball.”

At the start of the concert, Hanley addressed the crowd and underscored Parton’s importance to Ryman Auditorium.

“Dolly played at the Ryman during a broadcast of the Grand Ole Opry back in 1959 when she was only 13 years old. She was introduced on this stage by Johnny Cash. Not bad, right?” he said. “We love you, Dolly, and we’re excited to be able to honor you here during this show tonight.”

Yola came through in epic fashion, ditching one of her planned songs to take on “I Will Always Love You.” It was an important switcheroo for Oates and other organizers, especially given that Parton was inducted into the Hall in 2022.

“Obviously, she’s an icon,” Oates noted. “I loved her. I loved everything about her.”

Though Parton was initially hesitant to accept her induction because she questioned if she had earned the honor, Oates can think of no one more worthy.

“Take a look at her! She’s had tons of hits. She wears outrageous clothes. She’s an amazing person. She’s super successful,” he said. “I mean, she’s more worthy than most rock stars in Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.”

In addition to Yola’s standout time on stage, the evening featured performances from Sam Bush, and Rome of Sublime. Maggie Rose, Devon Allman, The War & Treaty, and Wynonna also took the stage.

Additionally, the event gave back too, as proceeds benefitted the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s educational efforts.

(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

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