Miley's Tribute, Beyoncé's Donation, Harry Kicks Off MSG Residency

Miley Cyrus, Beyoncé, and Hollywood Pay Tribute to Dolly Parton

The universe lost its brightest star following the passing of Dolly Parton, and the outpouring of celebrity love has been as glitzy, emotional, and transcendent as the rhinestone queen herself. Leading the tributes was Parton’s goddaughter Miley Cyrus, who shared a deeply personal message honoring her "Aunt Dolly." Miley revealed that while their most sacred moments will remain private behind the stage, one of their final conversations was about "music and metamorphosis." True to Dolly’s spirit, Miley shared that she knows her godmother would want her to write a song through the grief and keep going strong, closing her note with a poignant nod to the legend: "I will always love her and want to make her proud."

The tributes bridged generations and genres, with music royalty across the board stepping up to give the country legend her ultimate flowers. Beyoncé, who famously collaborated with Parton on her Cowboy Carter reimagining of "Jolene," penned a powerful tribute on her website hailing Dolly as the industry’s ultimate "barometer" and "North Star." Bey praised Parton for teaching generations of artists how to be unapologetically themselves, writing, "You are an angel who has made this world a happier place because of your joyful art. You are truly one of one."

Harry Styles Kicks Off MSG Residency with Transformed Setlist

Harry Styles kicked off his massive 30-show residency at Madison Square Garden on August 26, turning opening night into one of the most memorable stops on his Together, Together tour. The pop star unveiled a dramatically reshaped setlist, opening with "Dance No More," dusting off deep cuts like "Carolina" and "Kiwi," and fresh arrangements of "Satellite" and "Carla's Song". The overhaul gave fans their first taste of a whole new show dynamic as Styles embarks on his extensive New York run.

The most moving moment of the evening arrived during the encore, when Styles paused to honor country music icon Dolly Parton following her death at age 80. Styles addressed the arena with a heartfelt message: "Dolly, we love you. Thank you so much". Parton’s timeless 1974 recording of "I Will Always Love You" then echoed across the venue as fans raised their lights and sang along, creating a poignant tribute to the late icon.

ICYMI:

• Emma Thompson has written a musical based on ‘Nanny McPhee,’ it’s set to open in London next year.

• Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama has died at the age of 97 - famed for her work with balloons and polka dots.

Beyoncé Donates $1 Million to Colombia Earthquake Relief

Beyoncé has pledged a $1 million personal donation to support emergency relief efforts in Colombia following a devastating 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck the region of Chocó earlier this month. Announced by Parkwood Entertainment, the funds will go directly toward providing essential food and shelter supplies to the most severely impacted areas, where the August 10 disaster tragically claimed over 300 lives and displaced tens of thousands of residents. In her announcement, the superstar urged fans to further support relief organizations on the ground, including World Central Kitchen and Food For the Poor.

Beyoncé’s contribution aligns her with a growing coalition of artists using their platforms to aid the nation's recovery efforts. Colombian pop icon Shakira also stepped up with an initiative focused on restoring educational infrastructure damaged by the quake. Partnering with the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, Live Nation, and CAF, Shakira visited local officials in Chocó to commit funding toward rebuilding destroyed schools, emphasizing that providing stability for children is crucial to helping affected communities recover and rebuild.

POP FACT: On this day in 2011, Beyoncé unbuttoned her purple blazer at the VMAs and revealed her pregnancy with her first child, Blue Ivy.

Peter Cullen, Iconic Voice of Optimus Prime and Eeyore, Dies at 85

Peter Cullen, the legendary Canadian voice actor whose powerful, compassionate performance as Optimus Prime in the Transformers franchise defined generations of pop culture, has died at age 85. With a career spanning over six decades and more than 200 credits, Cullen also famously lent his unmistakable voice to Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh, as well as classic series like G.I. Joe, The Smurfs, DuckTales, and Voltron. Passing away peacefully in Los Angeles surrounded by family, his agent shared a statement honoring his massive legacy and reminding his global fanbase of his signature hero's guiding philosophy: "be strong enough to be gentle."

ICYMI:

• After 12 days of dancing on TikTok, Zara Larsson has sold out her ‘Midnight Sun Tour’ show in Bangkok.

• Nicola Coughlan, Imelda Staunton and Dominic West are to star in a Roald Dahl series at Netflix.

• ‘Jolene’ by Dolly Parton has hit #1 on the Global Spotify chart for the first time with 4.72 million streams.

— Katie Macbeth

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