Additional Coverage:
- ’80s Rocker, 73, Dedicates Her 1st Major Hit to Dolly Parton 1 Month After Artist’s Death (parade.com)
One month after the passing of country music legend Dolly Parton, her longtime friend and collaborator Pat Benatar paid tribute by dedicating a heartfelt performance of “Heartbreaker” to the late icon.
At the One805LIVE! event held on September 26 at Kevin Costner’s oceanfront estate, Benatar, 73, introduced the 1979 hit by recalling their recent collaboration. “Our last project that we did together was this song as a whole combo,” she said, dedicating the performance to her “sweet friend.”
Benatar had reimagined “Heartbreaker” as a duet with Parton for the latter’s final solo album, Rockstar, released in November 2023. “This is the song that started it all,” Benatar remarked, highlighting the significance of their partnership.
Dolly Parton passed away on August 25 at age 80 after a brief, private battle with cancer, her family announced. The beloved singer and actress left behind a rich legacy, including her work on Rockstar, which featured collaborations with rock legends such as Elton John, Stevie Nicks, and Brandi Carlile.
Reflecting on the star-studded album, Parton explained to NPR how she enlisted such prominent artists: “I just sent them a love note through their managers, and all the people I reached out to said, ‘Yes, we’d love to.’ I was very honored and very proud and very humbled by that.”
Benatar also shared her admiration for Parton with ABC News, saying, “It doesn’t matter what avenue, which genre of music she chose to do, she always rocked at what she did. She walked so we could fly. That’s where it starts, before us, because that was her alone by herself just figuring it out and just doing it.”
Both Parton and Benatar were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November 2022, cementing their places in music history.
Following Parton’s death, Benatar and her husband Neil Giraldo released a touching statement: “A sad day for everyone who knew and loved Dolly. Which is pretty much everybody.
A dear friend, an Earth Angel and an inimitable soul who also wrote songs and sang. The world will be a little less bright today, but Heaven will be rockin’.
Rest in Peace.”