The Queen of Country would be proud.
During the VMAs 2026 telecast on Sunday night, Kacey Musgraves honored the late Dolly Parton with an emotional rendition of “I Will Always Love You.”
The performance began with a clip of Parton singing her 1974 hit during an episode of “The Dolly Parton Show;” the icon often closed the variety show by singing the classic.
And, when it came to her outfit for the performance, Musgraves drew inspiration from Parton herself, wearing a hot pink sequined gown with feathered cuffs.
Her hair, cascading down her shoulders, boasted a height and volume that — while not quite as high as Dolly’s — would still have made the southern-born Parton smile.
She also wore purple eye shadow to match that of Parton in the clip shown on screen.
While Musgraves and Parton never formally collaborated, the “High Horse” singer has cited the “Jolene” icon as one of her biggest musical influences.
At the 2016 CMA Awards, she participated in an all-star salute to Dolly Parton alongside Reba McEntire, Jennifer Nettles, Martina McBride and Carrie Underwood. She took part in another tribute to the country legend at the 2019 Grammys with Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Maren Morris and Little Big Town, describing Parton as the “ultimate songwriter” at the time.
When the “I Will Always Love You” songstress died on Aug. 25 at age 80 following a “brief battle with cancer,” Musgraves was among the many musicians to publicly mourn Parton.
“Dolly. This really really hurts,” she posted on X at the time, adding, “The world feels a lot less sparkly all of a sudden.”
Musgraves’ performance tonight marked her first time gracing the VMAs stage in five years, and she’s nominated in the Best Country category this year for her song “Dry Spell.”
