Rapper Pitbull delivered an emotional tribute to the late country legend Dolly Parton during a live concert on 27 August, saying she 'believed in me when a lot of folks didn't' — a rare public acknowledgement of how profoundly the iconic singer shaped his career. Parton passed away on Tuesday at the age of 80, prompting an outpouring of grief from across the entertainment world.

The Tribute on Stage

Pitbull was performing at Northwell at Jones Beach Theater in New York when he paused to honour Parton before his crowd. '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,' he told the audience.

He described Parton as 'hardworking, intelligent, sophisticated, funny, powerful, intimidating, but more than anything a good human being with a good heart.' He concluded by dedicating his set to 'the legend that will live forever, Dolly Parton.'

The Collaboration That Brought Them Together

Following his remarks, Pitbull performed 'Powerful Women', his 2024 collaboration with Parton — a reimagined version of her classic track '9 to 5'. The performance served as both a musical farewell and a celebration of a creative partnership that had surprised many in the industry when it was first announced.

How Dolly Parton's Passing Was Announced

The news of Parton's death was shared by her nephew Bryan Seaver, who also served as her head of security, in a video posted to her official Instagram page. Seaver, whose father Larry had held the same security role before him, said the announcement was something Parton had personally asked him to make years earlier.

'This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,' Seaver said in the video. 'It is an honour, an honour that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly.'

Seaver added that he had first travelled on the road with Parton as a child in the early 1980s, underscoring the decades-long personal bond between the two families.

A Legacy That Transcended Genre

Parton's ability to forge genuine connections across musical genres — from country to pop to hip-hop — was a defining feature of her later career. Her collaboration with Pitbull was emblematic of that reach: a country icon lending her voice and name to an artist from a completely different world, and doing so, by Pitbull's own account, out of genuine belief in him. That cross-genre generosity is likely to stand as one of the more distinctive footnotes of her remarkable legacy.

Tributes from artists, fans, and public figures are expected to continue in the days ahead as the entertainment world processes the loss of one of its most beloved figures.