The Fast & Furious star delivers a heartfelt, mostly a cappella rendition of Parton’s iconic song
Vin Diesel has joined the celebrities paying tribute to Dolly Parton, sharing an unexpectedly heartfelt rendition of her iconic song “I Will Always Love You” on social media.
Diesel posted the mostly a cappella performance this week over a black-and-white photograph of a young Parton. The actor begins the clip singing without accompaniment before a subtle instrumental arrangement gradually comes in.
By the chorus, Diesel layers his voice with his own harmonies, giving the performance an unusually earnest tone. He captioned the post with only a praying-hands emoji, allowing the tribute to stand on its own.
His emotional delivery was particularly noticeable when his voice cracked while singing the word “please” in the line “goodbye, please don’t cry”.
Vin Diesel’s performance draws mixed reactions
The performance quickly attracted attention online, with reactions ranging from sincere appreciation to playful confusion over Diesel’s intensely serious delivery.
One fan simply wrote, “Thank you Vin,” while another jokingly commented, “Vin Diesel really taking advantage of his free will.”
Diesel has previously surprised social media users with similarly unexpected musical performances.
In 2013, the Fast & Furious star went viral after sharing an earnest, low-quality cover of Rihanna’s “Stay”. At the time, Diesel explained that the performance was intended as a tribute to his longtime partner.
His latest musical offering has once again placed the actor in an unexpected spotlight, this time as he pays homage to Parton through one of her best-known songs.
Dolly Parton’s song has enduring legacy
“I Will Always Love You” was written and originally recorded by Parton, becoming one of the defining songs of her career.
The song later achieved global fame through Whitney Houston’s celebrated rendition for the 1992 film The Bodyguard.
Diesel’s cover adds another unexpected chapter to the song’s long cultural legacy, while giving fans another glimpse of the actor’s sentimental side.