John Mayer honored the late Dolly Parton with a deeply personal musical tribute during a private SiriusXM performance in the Hamptons, choosing one of her most enduring songs for an intimate moment with the crowd.
On Aug. 26, 2026, Mayer performed at Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, New York, where he was joined by his full band for the first time in nearly a year. Although audience members called out for Parton’s Jolene, the 48-year-old guitarist chose to perform I Will Always Love You instead, delivering the song on guitar before closing his set with Gravity as an encore.
The performance came just one day after Parton’s death. The country music legend died on Aug. 25 at age 80 following what her team described as a brief battle with cancer, according to her family.
Mayer had a personal connection to Parton that stretched back more than a decade. The two first met in Nashville in October 2010, when they crossed paths backstage at the All for the Hall benefit concert, an event often hosted by their mutual friend Keith Urban.
Before taking the stage, Mayer spoke with his close friend and fellow SiriusXM host Andy Cohen about Parton’s passing and the extraordinary response to her death. He reflected on how her life and career appeared to bring people together at a time when the world often feels divided.
For Mayer, Parton’s legacy extended far beyond her music. He described her life as an enduring example of love and said her ability to bring people together was something he had rarely experienced on such a scale.
The conversation added another emotional layer to Mayer’s decision to perform I Will Always Love You, transforming the song into a tribute to an artist whose influence reached generations of listeners.
Mayer’s performance also marked an important moment in his own musical return. He has not released an album since 2021’s Sob Rock, but he told the Hamptons audience that new music is coming.
The guitarist revealed that he has been working on new material at Cohen’s Hamptons beach home and teased that he expects to perform those songs for audiences again soon.
The intimate concert attracted a notable crowd, including Paul McCartney and his daughter Stella McCartney, Brooke Shields, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka, Christie Brinkley and daughter Sailor, and Michael J. Fox.
Mayer performed a career-spanning set during the evening, while also joking about his habits as an Uber Eats customer. He revealed that he leaves a minimum $40 tip, whether he is ordering something as small as a cup of coffee or a meal from Nobu.
For a night already shaped by the loss of Dolly Parton, however, it was Mayer’s unexpected choice of song that became the most poignant moment. Rather than simply answering the crowd’s request for a familiar hit, he used one of Parton’s most beloved compositions to remember an artist whose impact clearly reached beyond country music.
Mayer’s full conversation with Cohen is scheduled to air on SiriusXM’s Radio Andy on Aug. 28 at 10 a.m. The John Mayer Live at Stephen Talkhouse concert is set to air Aug. 29 at 8 p.m. ET on SiriusXM’s Life with John Mayer and will also be available through the SiriusXM app.
Source: Compiled from various sources.
