John Mayer Honours Dolly Parton With Instrumental 'I Will Always Love You' at SiriusXM Show
John Mayer paid tribute to Dolly Parton following her death at age 80, performing an instrumental version of her song "I Will Always Love You" during a SiriusXM Live appearance at The Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, New York. Mayer had sat down with host Andy Cohen for the conversation segment, which aired as tributes to the singer, songwriter and actress poured in from across the music world. Billboard
Mayer described Parton's passing as both a "huge loss" and a "universal loss," telling Cohen that he believed she would have been happy to see the world come together to celebrate her on the day she died. He noted that few people remain who can galvanise a fractured world to share love for one person. Billboard
Parton originally wrote and recorded "I Will Always Love You" in 1973. The song has been covered by numerous artists over the decades and remains one of the most recognised entries in the American songbook. Mayer's rendition was performed on electric guitar, without vocals.
The concert, recorded on August 26 in the Hamptons, is set to debut as an exclusive broadcast on Saturday, August 29 at 8pm ET on Life with John Mayer, SiriusXM's Channel 4, and on the SiriusXM app. SiriusXM
Cohen, an Emmy Award-winning host who programmes two SiriusXM channels — Radio Andy and Andy Cohen's Kiki Lounge — has a long-standing connection to Parton. In 2018, Parton surprised Cohen with a live birthday phone call during his Watch What Happens Live 50th birthday party, an event Mayer hosted. Parton sang to Cohen on the call. E! Online
Parton's death prompted a wave of public tributes from fellow performers, broadcasters and fans. SiriusXM published its own memorial coverage, noting her decades-long career spanning country music, film and television. SiriusXM
What stands out about Mayer's tribute is its restraint. No vocal, no guest spot, no arrangement overhaul — a guitarist picking up one of the most covered songs in popular music and letting the melody carry the weight. For an audience that knows the song through Parton's own recording or later versions, hearing it reduced to a single instrument is a different kind of memorial: not a performance of grief but a statement of respect.
The full concert broadcast will give listeners the chance to hear the performance in context. Until then, Mayer's words to Cohen capture the moment's measure: a world briefly united around one person, and the awareness of how rare that has become.
