Vin Diesel isn’t exactly the first name you’d expect to hear singing Dolly Parton.
But the Fast & Furious star offered an unexpectedly emotional tribute to the country music icon Wednesday (Aug. 26), sharing his own rendition of one of her most famous songs.
The performance quickly drew attention as Diesel’s voice cracked while singing lyrics that now carry an especially poignant meaning following Parton’s death.
Vin Diesel Sings ‘I Will Always Love You’
Diesel shared a black-and-white photo of Parton on Instagram along with a roughly two-minute audio clip of himself singing “I Will Always Love You.”
READ MORE: Whitney Wasn’t the Only One: 5 Singers Who Nailed Dolly’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ [Listen]
Parton wrote and recorded the song in 1973, years before Whitney Houston‘s iconic version introduced it to an entirely new generation through the 1992 film The Bodyguard.
Diesel appeared to become emotional during his performance, with his voice cracking as he sang the closing lyrics: “So, goodbye / Please, don’t cry.”
He simply captioned the tribute with a prayer-hands emoji.
Dolly’s Song Became a Goodbye
“I Will Always Love You” carries an especially emotional meaning following Parton’s death.
Parton died Tuesday (Aug. 25) at 80 following a brief battle with cancer. Her nephew Bryan Seaver announced her death, saying she had “lived in the light.”
READ MORE: Even Facing Her Own Death, Dolly Parton Was Thinking About Helping Others
Parton had previously revealed that she expected “I Will Always Love You” to be played at her funeral. She remembered watching Houston’s funeral in 2012 and hearing the song as Houston’s coffin was carried out.
I’m sure they’ll be playing ‘I Will Always Love You’ when I die, just like they did with Whitney Houston. When they picked her coffin up and started in on that song, I started to cry.
Dolly’s Legacy Lives On
Parton’s influence stretched far beyond the songs she wrote. She spent decades building a legacy through her music, philanthropy and work in Tennessee, including the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and Dollywood.
Diesel’s tribute is another reminder of how far Parton’s music reached. “I Will Always Love You” began as a song Dolly wrote herself and became one of the most enduring songs in popular music.
