Pitbull honored the late Dolly Parton during a performance at Northwell at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York, earlier this week, taking a moment to pay homage to the country icon who had died after a brief cancer battle on Tuesday (25.08.26) at the age of 80.
He addressed the audience, saying: “We’re having a great time and then we’re losing our minds, but there’s someone that was very special to me and showed me love and believed in me when a lot of folks didn’t and gave me an opportunity. And her name is Dolly Parton. She lived an amazing life. A hardworking woman, intelligent, sophisticated, funny, powerful, intimidating, but more than anything a good human being with a good heart. And she showed me a whole lot of love. So to all the crowds, this is dedicated to y’all, but more than anything to the legend that will live forever, Dolly Parton.”
During the set, Pitbull performed his 2024 collaboration with Dolly, “Powerful Women,” a reimagined rendition of Dolly’s classic “9 to 5.”
Pitbull’s tribute to Dolly’s generosity comes as Stevie Nicks revealed she had “the best week ever” in the studio with the country icon.
The Fleetwood Mac frontwoman teamed with Dolly on the duet “What Has Rock And Roll Ever Done For You” for her 2023 album Rockstar.
In the wake of the Jolene hitmaker’s passing, Stevie recalled getting her very own Dolly “masterclass” and the privilege of watching her transform into a “rock star” for the project.
Sharing a letter she wrote about the experience alongside a photo with Dolly on Instagram, she wrote: “I spent a week with Dolly in Nashville to record one of my songs with her for her ‘Rock Star’ album.
“Best week ever.
“A week with Dolly was like a master class for me. I tried to be a sponge
– and learn everything I could learn from her – in a very few days. Learning from her was easy because she was a really good teacher. I think she saw me as a really good student; I just tried to listen.
“She said she could become a rock star – and I watched her do it. When I was there she was not even close to being finished gathering more rock and roll songs that she wanted to sing. (sic)”
