New York [US], August 27 : Harry Styles paid tribute to Dolly Parton during the opening night of his Madison Square Garden residency, playing Parton's recording of 'I Will Always Love You' for the audience following the death of the country music icon at age 80.
Styles, who began an unprecedented run of 30 consecutive shows at the storied New York arena, thanked his band and offered a "special thanks to all the musicians who have inspired me over the years," as reported by Billboard.
"Dolly, thank you so much," Styles said, before playing two verses and choruses of 'I Will Always Love You,' which Parton originally released in 1974.
He also invited the crowd to sing along during the first chorus, as per Billboard.
According to Billboard, the audio of Parton's recording then faded out and transitioned into Styles' solo hit 'Sign Of The Times.'
Parton died on Tuesday, August 25, at the age of 80. She was an inductee into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame and was the writer of more than 3,000 songs.
Parton was named Billboard's Top Country Artist of All Time. She recorded 25 Number 1 songs on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, the most of any woman, and 49 top 10s on Billboard's Country Albums chart.
Beyond music, Parton was known for her philanthropy, acting roles, business ventures and support for good causes. The Tennessee native co-owned Dollywood, a theme park in her hometown of Pigeon Forge, Tenn., and operated the Imagination Library, a programme that mails free books to children from birth until they first begin school.
Parton was also a former co-owner of Sandollar Productions with her former manager, Sandy Gallin. The company produced projects including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Father of the Bride and Sabrina.
New York is the first and only US stop on Styles' current tour. Before arriving in the city, he performed 31 dates across Amsterdam, London, Sao Paulo and Mexico City during July and August.