Dolly Parton's Last Vocals Land as Out100 Crowns Her

Dolly Parton's last recorded vocal reached streaming on Friday, a duet with Bono called "Torn" on U2's new album. The release came three months after her death at 80, and two days after her sister accepted The Advocate's 2026 Advocate of the Year award on her behalf at the Out100 gala in Los Angeles.

Parton died on 25 August 2026 after what her representatives described as a brief battle with cancer. She had recorded "Torn" in Nashville in June, and U2 have described the vocal as her final performance in the studio. The song sits on Carnaval De Luz, the band's 16th studio album, released on 13 November — the same week the LGBTQ+ press gave her the kind of send-off usually reserved for politicians.

Stella Parton: 'She loved every one of you'

The Out100 gala at the Sunset Room & Laya on Thursday night turned into a family tribute. Stella Parton, Dolly's younger sister, collected the award and spoke about the daily phone calls rather than the career statistics.

"The thing that I miss most about talking with her just about every day is her optimism. And I want you to keep that alive."

Lily Tomlin, Parton's friend and 9 to 5 co-star, presented the award and framed the appeal in terms of reach rather than genre: there was room in that heart, she said, for everyone from one poor family in East Tennessee to a queer kid in East LA. Stella Parton then addressed the room directly.

"And I know that Dolly loved every one of you."

She described her sister as a kaleidoscope, and offered her own explanation for why the bond held for decades: Parton saw a little of herself in each of her LGBTQ+ fans, which is why she kept showing up for them.

Nine weeks from a Nashville booth to a worldwide release

The timeline is short even by posthumous-release standards. Parton cut the vocal in June, died in late August, and the album was announced in September for a 13 November release. A country mix, "Torn" (Kent Wells Version), had an all-day radio premiere on 12 November across iHeart, SiriusXM and Music Choice before the album arrived.

The album is U2's 16th, and the band is marking 50 years together with it. For Parton's fans the song is the point: a last chance to hear her phrase a lyric, and a reminder that the recording existed before anyone knew it would be the last.

Why the award landed the way it did

The Advocate named Parton its 2026 Advocate of the Year for a lifetime of artistry, generosity and support for LGBTQ+ people — a citation that reads unusually plainly for an industry award. The honour is not for a single statement or a single vote. It is for the consistency, in a career that ran from Nashville to Dollywood to a pandemic-era vaccine donation, of treating her gay fans as fans rather than a market.

That consistency is why the gala's tone was gratitude rather than grief. Stella Parton asked the room for something specific: if you want to think about her sister, stay optimistic and hopeful, because that was the thing she carried.

• "Torn": the Bono duet, recorded in Nashville in June 2026, out now.
• "Torn" (Kent Wells Version): the country mix, premiered on radio on 12 November.
• Carnaval De Luz: U2's 16th album, released 13 November.
• Out100: the 2026 Advocate of the Year award, accepted by Stella Parton on 12 November.

What happens next

The album is available on every major streaming service, and the Kent Wells country mix stays in rotation on the radio networks that premiered it on 12 November. U2's promotional cycle for Carnaval De Luz continues through the winter, with the Parton duet as its most-covered track.

The Advocate's Out100 coverage runs through November, and the award will keep Parton in the LGBTQ+ press well past the album cycle. For readers in Amsterdam, the more immediate option is the one Stella Parton asked for: keep the optimism, and take it to the dance floor.

Vibra's free profile puts Amsterdam's queer calendar in one place — parties, club nights, Pride events, tickets and Pulse points — so a good night out takes one tap instead of five group chats.

Sources: PinkNews, "Dolly Parton's last recorded performance appears on U2's new song 'Torn'", 13 November 2026; The Advocate, "'Dolly loved every one of you,' Stella Parton tells LGBTQ+ fans at Out100 gala", 13 November 2026; The Advocate, "Lily Tomlin remembers Dolly Parton as a friend and legendary LGBTQ+ ally at Out100 gala", 13 November 2026.