Kesha turned a concert in Pittsburgh into a deeply personal farewell to Dolly Parton, choosing a song that connects the two singers through far more than music.

During her show at the Pavilion at Star Lake, Kesha performed “Old Flames (Can’t Hold a Candle to You)” in tribute to Parton, who died at 80 on Aug. 25. The song carries an unusual piece of Kesha’s own family history. Her mother, songwriter Pebe Sebert, was one of its writers, and Kesha told the audience that the song’s success helped provide for her family when she was growing up.

Kesha told the crowd that the song had helped buy her family a house and had helped put her through school. In that moment, her choice of tribute became less about revisiting a country standard and more about acknowledging how Parton’s career had touched her life long before the two women ever recorded together.

“We literally lost an angel,” Kesha told the audience, adding that Parton would continue to live through her art, kindness and love.

A Dolly Parton song with a direct link to Kesha’s childhood

“Old Flames (Can’t Hold a Candle to You)” was first released by Joe Sun in 1978 before Parton popularized the song with her own version in 1980. Sebert’s role as a co-writer gave the song an enduring place in Kesha’s family story.

Years later, that connection came full circle.

Parton joined Kesha to record the song as a duet for Kesha’s 2017 album Rainbow. During the Pittsburgh tribute, Kesha recalled what Parton’s support meant to her at that point in her career, describing the collaboration as a source of reassurance during a difficult period.

She said having a woman of Parton’s stature stand beside her made her feel that “God was on my side.” Kesha then introduced the performance as a way to honor Parton’s life and legacy.

The admiration was not new. Kesha had previously described Parton as a “guiding light,” recalling that as a child she viewed the country star as an almost larger-than-life figure.

Dolly Parton’s death was announced by her nephew

Parton died on Aug. 25 at the age of 80. Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced her death in an Instagram video on behalf of the Parton and Owens families.

Seaver revealed another unusually personal detail about the announcement. He said Parton had asked him years earlier to be the person who delivered the news when the time eventually came. Seaver, who had served as her head of security for more than two decades, described the moment as one filled with both pride and sadness.

He also reflected on Parton’s reach beyond her own family, saying she had opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians and dreamers.

Four days earlier, Parton was still talking about what came next

The news of Parton’s death arrived only days after she had spoken openly about her health and her determination to continue working.

On Aug. 21, Parton acknowledged that she had been dealing with health issues, saying some problems had gone unattended while she was caring for her husband, Carl Dean, before his death in March 2025.

Even then, her focus remained on unfinished work.

She said she was still healing and still working, adding that she had “so many things” she wanted to achieve and intended to keep going for as long as she could.

That determination had also been visible through the previous year. A planned Las Vegas residency was first postponed amid health challenges and was later canceled in May 2026. At the time of the cancellation, Parton said she was responding well to medication and treatment and was improving each day.

A career that moved far beyond country music

Parton’s recording career stretched across decades. Her debut album, Hello, I’m Dolly, arrived in 1967, and her catalogue went on to include songs such as “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You.” She was credited with selling more than 160 million albums worldwide.

Her work also crossed into film. She starred in 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Rhinestone, Steel Magnolias and Joyful Noise.

Across her career, Parton won 11 Grammy Awards, 10 Country Music Association awards and seven Academy of Country Music awards, among other honors. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

Her legacy also extended beyond entertainment. Through the Imagination Library, Parton helped provide books to children from birth until kindergarten, an initiative inspired in part by her father, who never learned to read or write.

For Kesha, however, Parton’s influence can be traced to something especially tangible: one song written before Kesha was born, recorded by one of her childhood heroes, and later sung by the two women together.

Years after Kesha said that song helped put a roof over her family and carry her through school, she returned to it onstage as a goodbye.

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