Brad Paisley took the stage in Connecticut just two days after Dolly Parton’s death, but one familiar song suddenly carried a meaning neither artist could have imagined when they first recorded it nearly 21 years earlier. Performing without his longtime collaborator, Paisley turned “When I Get Where I’m Going” into an emotional farewell that left him visibly moved.
At his Aug. 27 concert at Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Paisley paused to explain how the song had changed for him following Parton’s death. Then came the line that made the tribute hit even harder: “I never thought it would be about her, but it is.”
More Dolly Legacy: Long before this tribute, Dolly had already turned a difficult moment into one of her most memorable public responses, back in a 1977 interview that still gets talked about today. For more, read our story on Dolly Parton Faced Barbara Walters’ “Hillbilly” Question in 1977 — Her Response Changed the Entire Conversation.
Brad Paisley’s Emotional Dolly Parton Tribute Changed the Meaning of Their Famous Duet
Paisley performed “When I Get Where I’m Going” roughly midway through his Aug. 27 set in Bridgeport. The concert marked his first show following Parton’s death, transforming what had long been a familiar part of his catalog into something deeply personal.
Released in 2005 as a Brad Paisley recording featuring Dolly Parton, the song became memorable partly because of Parton’s unmistakable vocal presence. Dolly’s official website lists the track in her discography and notes that she contributed vocal harmony, while the song itself was written by George Teren and Rivers Rutherford. Paisley’s official website also continues to identify it as “When I Get Where I’m Going (Featuring Dolly Parton).”
But in Bridgeport, Paisley performed the song alone.
More Final Wishes: Tributes like Paisley’s are only part of how Dolly’s loved ones are honoring her, her family has also shared details about the deeply personal plans for her final resting place. For more, read our report on Dolly Parton to Be Laid to Rest Beside Late Husband Carl Dean as Family Reveals Her Last Wish: ‘She Wants to Rest in a Beautiful Bed of Plush Cotton’.
Behind him, a montage of photographs featuring Parton played across the screen, including images of the two country stars together. The tribute also displayed a simple but powerful message: “We Love You Dolly.”
The absence of Parton’s voice was impossible to ignore.
Before performing, Paisley told the audience how she became part of the song in the first place. “When I recorded that song and sent it to Dolly, I said, ‘A couple of people in my life I’ve lost, and I didn’t know if this would relate to you,’” Paisley told the crowd.
Her response came immediately.
“She immediately said, ‘Yes, let me sing on that,’ and did.”
That decision helped give the recording one of its most recognizable elements. What began as a song Paisley connected with people he had personally lost became a collaboration between two major country music stars.
The song itself had always dealt with loss, heaven and the idea of what awaits after death. Its message imagines leaving behind the burdens, sins and fears carried through life while asking those left behind not to mourn.
But on Aug. 27, that message landed very differently.
Paisley became visibly emotional while speaking about the song’s new meaning.
“I never thought it would be about her, but it is,” he said.
He then connected the song directly to Parton’s beliefs and legacy.
“It’s everything she believed, and we will always love you, Dolly.”
Parton had died only 48 hours earlier. She died Aug. 25 in Nashville at age 80 following what her representatives described as a “brief battle with cancer.” The type of cancer was not publicly disclosed, and her representatives said she died surrounded by loved ones.
More on Her Final Months: Speculation about Parton’s condition had circulated for a while before her passing, with fans and outlets alike trying to piece together the full picture. For more, check out our post on What’s Wrong with Dolly Parton? The Truth About Her Health, Illness Rumors, and Las Vegas Residency Delay.
For Paisley, the loss was especially personal. Parton was not simply another legendary artist he admired. She had become part of one of the songs most closely connected to his own career.
| Date | Event | Location |
| 2005 | “When I Get Where I’m Going” released featuring Dolly Parton | — |
| Aug. 25, 2026 | Dolly Parton died at age 80 | Nashville |
| Aug. 27, 2026 | Brad Paisley performed the song alone as a tribute | Bridgeport, Connecticut |
Paisley’s wife, actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley, also shared her own memories of Parton following the singer’s death.
Williams-Paisley recalled meeting Parton during the making of “When I Get Where I’m Going.”
“She was immediately approachable, funny, kind, and generous,” Williams-Paisley wrote. “And her voice! Well, it pierced my soul in the best way, and added so much to an already beautiful song.”
Years later, the two women worked together on Netflix’s Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings. Williams-Paisley appeared in an episode inspired by Parton’s song “Jolene,” and recalled difficult filming conditions involving crazy winds and sideways rain.
“On the day we filmed, there were crazy winds and sideways rain. We were trying to keep a strict schedule and so we soldiered on in the storm. My hair, my wardrobe, my script pages were flying every which way as we got ready to shoot,” she recalled.
Then Parton arrived.
“When Dolly arrived, it was like the storm stopped, but only around her/ She glided across the stage, looking gorgeous and prepared as always, with not ONE HAIR out of place. It must have been the Dolly effect.”
Williams-Paisley also praised Parton’s charitable work, influence and life beyond entertainment.
“Dolly did so much good in her beautiful life on earth, from helping kids learn to love to read, to inspiring so many people to love each other well. In addition to her astounding talent, she was an incredible business woman and philanthropist.”
She ended her tribute with words that closely echoed Paisley’s own farewell.
“Dolly will always live on in her music and in our hearts,” she wrote. “And we will always love her.”
Paisley’s tribute came amid a broader wave of performances honouring Parton after her death. Vince Gill performed “I Will Always Love You” in Kansas City on Aug. 27, while Kacey Musgraves also paid tribute to Parton during a concert.
Yet Paisley’s performance carried a uniquely personal weight.
“When I Get Where I’m Going” had always been about mortality and imagining what comes after death. Nearly 21 years after Parton agreed to sing on it, Paisley was suddenly standing onstage performing those same words without her.
Her voice remains on the original recording.
But in Bridgeport, her absence became part of the song itself.
What began as a Brad Paisley song featuring Dolly Parton became something else entirely for one emotional performance: Paisley’s goodbye to Dolly.
More Health Updates: Parton’s death followed a period of public concern over her wellbeing, after she herself had opened up about a health scare earlier in the year. For more, dive into our story on “My Doctor Clipped My Wings”: Dolly Parton Reveals Recovery Details Alongside New Nashville Expansion.
Disclaimer: This article is based on thorough research from the supplied Entertainment Weekly report, official artist materials and additional contemporary reporting available as of Aug. 31, 2026. All details, quotes, and reported events are presented on the basis of the provided verified sources.
Sources
- Entertainment Weekly — Brad Paisley gets emotional as he sings Dolly Parton duet solo after her death
- Dolly Parton Official Website — “When I Get Where I’m Going” discography entry
- Brad Paisley Official Website — “When I Get Where I’m Going” featuring Dolly Parton
- PEOPLE — Brad Paisley gets choked up performing his Dolly Parton duet two days after her death
- PEOPLE — Dolly Parton died after a “brief battle with cancer,” representatives confirm
- PEOPLE — Kimberly Williams-Paisley recalls filming with Dolly Parton in a storm
- Live Nation — Brad Paisley at Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater, Aug. 27, 2026
- Reuters — Dolly Parton dies at 80
Featured Image Credit: Crisco 1492 / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
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