At a star-studded Dolly Parton tribute event on Oct. 21, Bono opened up about recording Parton's final song together.
"We were just blessed to record a song with her this spring. I had no idea it would be her last. I wonder if she knew," the U2 star said, appearing in a pre-recorded video as a part of the ABC and Disney+ live event “CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton."
Parton recorded the track "Torn" with Bono in June 2026, two months before her death. It is Parton's final recorded vocal performance.
Despite being seriously ill, Bono said Parton "got out of her bed to sing this song."
"You can hear that. And I can't even listen to it now," he added.
When Parton first sent Bono her vocals, he said he was speechless,
"which is rare for an Irishman."
"It was like she was singing herself to somewhere else," he said. "She once told me, when our schedules didn't align, 'Unfortunately Bono I have more love than time.' More love than time. Isn't that what eternal means? That's Dolly."
Though not long-time collaborators, Bono and Dolly Parton had developed a friendship in recent years.
The two stars' musical partnership began when Bono approached Parton about contributing to an Irish folk-inspired side project. Parton politely declined, reportedly telling Bono it was "a little too Irish for me."
Instead, she offered him one of her own songs, "Torn." Bono and Johnny McDaid of Snow Patrol reworked the song together, transforming it into a story about a mother who was watching her family fall apart.
Bono was deeply moved by the recording session. Producer Garret 'Jacknife' Lee said Parton heard the finished version before her death and loved it, taking pride in her vocal performance.
Audrey Gibbs is a music and culture reporter at The Tennessean. You can reach her at agibbs@tennessean.com or on Instagram at @audreyraegibbs.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Bono opens up about Dolly Parton's final song during tribute show
