Kacey Musgraves has paid tribute to Dolly Parton with a cover of ‘Here You Come Again’.
Musgraves is currently out on tour in support of her seventh studio album ‘Middle Of Nowhere’, which was released in May via Lost Highway Records.
During her gig in Boston on Friday (August 28), she gave a touching tribute to Parton with a performance of her 1977 country-pop classic, in honour of the music legend, who passed away earlier this week at the age of 80 following a brief battle with cancer.
Musgraves also performed her ‘Golden Hour’ track ‘Rainbow’, marking the first time she’s played it on this tour. She told the crowd that Parton has been the inspiration behind the track.
“Let’s all sing this together for her memory,” Musgraves told the crowd as pictures of Parton were shown on the screen.
Playing these two tracks back to back was a nod to the 2019 Grammys, where Musgraves was joined on stage by Parton and Katy Perry for a group rendition of the latter track.
‘Here You Come Again’ was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and served as the title track of Parton’s 1977 album. It became her first major pop crossover hit, reaching Number Three on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning her the first Grammy of her career.
Musgraves is far from the first artist to have paid tribute to the country icon since the news emerged. Maisie Peters also covered the same song during her set at Reading Festival this weekend, and Jack White performed ‘Jolene’ at a London show.
Elsewhere, Orville Peck covered ‘I Will Always Love You’, and The King’s Guard played ‘9 To 5’ outside Buckingham Palace.
Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Eminem, Elton John and others shared messages honouring Parton, remembering her musical influence and extensive philanthropic work. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump also ordered flags to be lowered at half-mast for a week across the country to honour Parton’s legacy.
In an NME obituary for Parton, we wrote: “As we all reel from Dolly Parton’s death, that glorious 2014 Glastonbury set may prove a balm. Introducing ‘Coat Of Many Colors’, her 1971 country hit about a patchwork coat sewn by her mother, this humble ‘farmer’s daughter’ paid tribute to her family’s love and resilience. Resplendent in her rhinestone suit, she embodied both qualities as a unifying icon. The world has become more divided since that set, but everyone will always love Dolly.”
As for Musgraves, her latest album, which featured collaborations with Willie Nelson, Miranda Lambert, Billy Strings and Gregory Alan Isakov, was given a three-and-a-half-star review from NME, and praised as one of the country star’s “most thematically cohesive records”.
“It isn’t flawless: a few tracks blur together in the middle stretch, and some lyrical moments fall flat. But the integrity and conviction behind the creative statement more than compensate,” it added.
The album was also included in NME’s rundown of the best albums of 2026 so far.
Leave a Reply