Jack White delivered a raucous tribute to Dolly Parton during his first of two London shows at the Eventim Apollo on Tuesday night (August 25), just hours after the country icon's death was announced. White performed a cover of Parton's classic 'Jolene' — a song he had not played live since 2007 with the White Stripes, according to setlist.fm — which one fan in attendance described as "raucous."
White's tribute and performance
Earlier in the day, White, a longtime admirer of Parton's, posted a simple tribute on Instagram reading "Instant sainthood," alongside a classic image of the country star. During the gig, a clip shared on social media shows White rocking through the emotionally-charged song, at one point looking away and pointing to the sky before clasping his hands as if in a prayer of thanks for Parton.
The White Stripes released a cover of 'Jolene' as the B-side to the single "Hello Operator" in 2000, later making it a staple of their live sets. White reportedly had not performed it live during his solo career until Tuesday night.
Parton's death and family statement
Parton, best known for genre-defining hits including "9 to 5," "I Will Always Love You," and "Jolene," died at age 80. Her death was announced by her nephew Brian Seaver on Tuesday, who said sharing the news was "an honour that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness." In a video shared on Instagram, Seaver added: "But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens." Parton's husband Carl Dean died last year.
Seaver continued: "I first went on the road with Dolly as a kid, getting a taste of the road life in the early 1980s. Dolly opened doors not just for me but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn't even know was possible. Dolly also opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians and dreamers from every walk of life and across every continent. By her example, we believed that anything is possible. She never saw a door she couldn't open, and the doors she opened made and changed history."
Global tributes and funeral plans
Last night, the Empire State Building tower lights honoured the singer by turning to a "pink sparkle" at 9.25pm. In May, Parton had pulled out of a highly anticipated Las Vegas residency due to begin in September, having already postponed her six-date run at The Colosseum Theatre at Caesars Palace from December 2025 to deal with "health challenges." In a video message at the time, she said she had been "responding really well to meds and treatments" and "improving every day," citing a long-time struggle with kidney stones, adding: "I've still got some healing to do, but I am on my way!"
At Parton's request, a small, private funeral service will be held for immediate family, the statement on social media said. "Dolly's fans and friends from around the world are encouraged to pay tribute to Dolly on social media by tagging @DollyParton or by leaving a message at www.dollyparton.com." In lieu of flowers, her family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library at imaginationlibrary.com.
