John Mayer described Dolly Parton’s death as a universal loss that united people across generations and differences. Speaking during SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live on Wednesday, Mayer said: “The world came together in a way that it hadn’t in a very long time to celebrate someone.”
Mayer praised Parton’s rare ability to galvanize a fractured world. “I don’t know that there are many people left who can galvanize a fractured world to come together and share love for one person,” he said, noting that when everyone loves one person simultaneously, “it is everybody loving at the same time.”
The guitarist and Dead & Company member performed an instrumental rendition of Parton’s signature hit “I Will Always Love You” during his SiriusXM Live performance at The Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, New York, putting his own electrifying spin on the classic.
Mayer characterised Parton’s life as exemplary. “This is what a life well-lived looks like, feels like, and sounds like,” he said, praising her as “brilliant, classy, talented” with a “full artistic rendering.”
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Source: Billboard







