Harry Styles surprised fans with a touching tribute to the late Dolly Parton on the first night of his Madison Square Garden residency on Wednesday. 

The singer, who is performing 30 dates at the iconic New York venue, made sure to honour the legendary country singer as he took to the stage following the news of her death. 

It was announced on Tuesday that the 9 To 5 singer had died aged 80 after a brief battle with cancer.

And Harry took a moment to pay his respects to Dolly as he told fans: ‘I just want to say thank you to all the musicians over the years that have inspired me. Dolly thank you so much.’ 

His band then began playing I Will Always Love You alongside the 1974 track with Dolly singing as Harry encouraged fans to sing along. 

Harry’s show came as Miley Cyrus penned a heartbreaking tribute to her godmother Dolly.

Harry Styles surprised fans with a Dolly Parton tribute on the first night of his Madison Square Garden residency in New York on Wednesday (pictured performing in London last month) 

Harry took a moment to pay his respects to Dolly as he told fans: ‘I just want to say thank you to all the musicians over the years that have inspired me. Dolly thank you so much’

Taking to Instagram to share her pain with her 205 million followers, Miley wrote: ‘The feeling of losing my Aunt Dolly is beyond what feels right to share. Our most sacred moments were private and they’ll stay there behind the stage, beneath the glamour & between our hearts.’

Despite keeping some of their most personal moments to herself, she continued the heartfelt caption by saying Parton’s presence will always be felt. 

Miley continued: ‘What I KNOW is Dolly would want me to feel it, write a song about it, and then continue on and be strong. I have an angel by my side. I always have. One of our last conversations was about music and metamorphosis. 

‘I will always love her and want to make her proud,’ she added. ‘My heart breaks for the world, her family and friends who will miss her deeply. We’re in this loss together and we will see her in all of the most beautiful things.’

Parton was bonded with Cyrus for her entire life, as the country music legend previously opened up about how she became the Flowers hitmaker’s godmother.

‘I’ve known her since she was a baby,’ she told GMA in 2009. ‘Her father’s a friend of mine, and when she was born, he said, ‘You just have to be her godmother,’ and I said, ‘I accept.’ 

‘We never did do a big ceremony, but I’m so proud of her, love her. And she’s just like one of my own.’ 

Katy Perry also paid tribute to the ‘inspiring’ Dolly with a series of heartwarming snaps on Wednesday in the wake of the country star’s passing.  

Earlier in the day Harry was seen out and about in the city in a pair of bright green Adidas shorts 

Harry paired the shorts with a white T-shirts, loafers and white socks

She put on a very leggy display in tiny black shorts, a white T-shirt and black kitten heels 

He added a pair of shades and carried his belongings in a large brownover the shoulder bag 

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Katy Perry pays tribute to ‘inspiring’ Dolly Parton as she remembers their friendship

Taking to Instagram, Katy referred to Dolly’s ‘Big boobs, big brains, and a big voice’ and described her as a woman who ‘defied the stereotypes’ as she shared sweet words for the late singer.

Among a series of pictures of the pair throughout the years, Katy shared a video of herself hanging out with Dolly backstage at the music legend’s concert at the Hollywood Bowl in 2016. 

Paying tribute to Dolly, Katy penned: ‘Like the rest of the world, my heart sank seeing the news of dear Dolly’s passing. She meant so much to so many people for so long.

‘For me, she was an example of a woman who defied the stereotypes for decades. She proved that big boobs, big brains, and a big voice can all exist in one tiny body! But the biggest thing about her by far was her heart.’

She continued: ‘I had the honor of meeting and singing with her several times. Every time I saw Dolly, she was a pure, sweet (but not saccharine) sassy, cup of joy.

‘Her way of looking at life with a sense of humor has always been an inspiration to me… I remember having a dream of having her sing with me for my Super Bowl show, popping out of a larger than life rhinestone cowboy boot… and though she couldn’t do it at the time she sent my team a sweet note, through fax… it was 2015! lol.

‘If there’s someone you wanna look up to and model your life after, it’s Dolly. Dolly was glam, funny, and kind as f**k. Her star will forever shine bright and I bet you she’s already remodeling them pearly gates with rhinestones. We will always love you Dolly!’

Katy also shared a tweet she penned back in 2016 which read: ‘In a world driven by fear @DollyParton makes me feel safe, pure and simple.’ 

Katy’s fans were quick to comment to share their own tributes to Dolly, sharing in the Firework singer’s grief at her passing. 

Meanwhile, Dolly’s death was greeted with a flood of tributes from a host of other stars, including from Reba McEntire, Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, Eminem, Sarah Jessica Parker, Pedro Pascal, Khloe Kardashian, Hillary Clinton and more. 

President Donald Trump also paid tribute to Parton and ordered American flags lowered nationwide for one week in her honor.

Shortly after the news of Parton’s death broke, the Empire State Building’s official Instagram account announced that it would be lighting up the iconic landmark in ‘pink sparkle’ at 9.25pm Tuesday night to honor her.

Her representatives confirmed the country superstar’s death in a statement to People, sharing that the Jolene singer died following a ‘brief battle with cancer’. They did not disclose what type of cancer it was.

‘Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched,’ the statement read.

‘After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.’

‘Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand,’ the statement went on.

‘Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact.’