Vin Diesel shocked his Instagram followers by singing a Dolly Parton song in an unexpected tribute to the country music icon after her death.
The Fast & Furious actor, 59, posted a black-and-white throwback photo of Parton on Wednesday, August 26, alongside a two-minute audio clip of himself covering “I Will Always Love You,” which the late singer wrote and recorded in 1973 before Whitney Houston popularized it with her rendition in 1992’s The Bodyguard.
At one point, Diesel (real name Mark Sinclair Vincent) appeared to become emotional, with his voice cracking as he crooned the lyrics, “So, goodbye / Please, don’t cry.”
The Chronicles of Riddick star simply captioned his post with an emoji of prayer hands.
“Vin, you never cease to amaze me,” one fan commented. “You are a man of many talents. A once in a generation actor, writer and now singer? Save some talent for the rest of us buddy!”
Another begged Diesel to “please release the full version on streaming” services.
However, some of the movie star’s followers trolled him over his surprising cover of the classic ballad.
“I THOUGHT THIS WAS A JOKE,” one person commented. “WHAT IS HE DOING.”
Another quipped, “I can’t believe this account is free.”
Parton died on Tuesday, August 25, four days after being hospitalized in Nashville. She was 80. The 9 to 5 actress’ team later confirmed that she had lost a “brief battle” with an undisclosed type of cancer.
“A rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see, Dolly will forever stand as an inspiration not only through her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth and kindness that made us all feel like family,” her rep said in a statement to Us, adding that her “legacy is one of love, compassion and resilience.”
Since her death, countless loved ones have taken to social media to honor Parton, including her goddaughter Miley Cyrus.
“I have an angel by my side. I always have,” the “Flowers” singer, 33, wrote in part via Instagram on Wednesday. “I will always love her and want to make her proud. My heart breaks for the world, her family and friends who will miss her deeply. We’re in this loss together and we will see her in all of the most beautiful things.”
Parton’s rep shared that a “small, private service” will be held for the Grammy winner’s immediate family. She will then be laid to rest in Nashville beside her longtime husband, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025 at age 82.
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