Vin Diesel sings in unexpected Dolly Parton tribute leaving fans in tears

Celebrities across the world have shared their tributes to country music superstar Dolly Parton, who passed away at the age of 80, following a 'brief battle with cancer'.

News of Parton’s death was announced by her family on Tuesday night (255 August), and her publicist, Marcel Pariseau, said: "After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Centre surrounded by loved ones."

The statement continued: "Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched. Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand.

"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."

The type of cancer was not disclosed.

The latest celebrity to share their tributes online is Fast & Furious star Vin Diesel, who took to Instagram yesterday (26 August) to post a video of him singing a cover of Dolly's hit 1974 track 'I Will Always Love You' over an old black and white photo of the 'Jolene' singer.

The actor captioned the clip with a praying emoji.

His unexpected tribute has sparked the same sad reaction amongst fans as one social media user penned: "For a non-singer to start singing for a tribute, oh it's serious. He sounds so sad. Why am I tearing up listening to Vin Diesel sing?"

"This is beautiful," gushed a second as a third chimed in: "I’m not crying, you are."

A fourth confessed: "In 1000 years I never would have guessed he was gonna do THAT."

"This is unbelievably beautiful, Vin. RIP," praised a fifth as a sixth echoed: "What beautiful tribute! Brave in more ways than one. Rest in peace, Dolly; you will be deeply missed!"

Another commented: "That was actually pretty beautiful from Vin. Respect!"

And a final fan added: "Didn’t have 'Crying to Vin Diesel singing' on my list today, but here we are."

Diesel's heartwarming tribute joins the biggest names in music, including goddaughter Miley Cyrus, Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Mick Jagger, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, who have all detailed Dolly's impact and her legacy, as both a musician and a humanitarian.

If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.