Ariana Grande honors Dolly Parton with pre-show tribute at London concert
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Ariana Grande honored the late global icon, Dolly Parton, with a pre-show tribute during her Eternal Sunshine Tour stop in London.
Parton was 80 when she breathed her last on August 25 after a brief cancer battle in Nashville, Tennessee.
Dolly Parton's singing video was played at Ariana Grande's concert
Many music industry stars paid their respects to her, and Grande joined them on Thursday, August 27, by playing a video of the late legend singing the classic ‘I Will Always Love You’ at the O2 arena.
The clip was shown before the 33-year-old singer began her performance.
Ariana Grande looks 'forward to finishing the tour'
The heartfelt tribute came amid Grande’s ongoing residency at the O2. The ‘Wicked’ star has announced that she will take a break from public life after concluding her tour on September 1.
In a statement issued on August 2, her representatives said, “Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour. She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny.”
“This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much,” the statement added.
Dolly Parton's work will live on through her 'handpicked' team
Meanwhile, Parton’s death was announced by her team on August 25.
“Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched. Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand,” the late country singer’s team said.
They also added that “Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact. After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.”
Parton’s manager Danny Nozell later revealed in another statement that though the ‘9 to 5’ hitmaker has died, her projects won’t stop.
As per Nozell, Parton worked “up until the day she died to build a project roadmap that will guide us for decades to come.”
In the August 26 statement, the manager added that he and his team will now “ensure the many dreams she had yet to fulfill are brought to life. Many projects were in various stages of development, and we want to be transparent with her fans about this fact.”
