New York, Aug. 27 -- Harry Styles paid tribute to Dolly Parton during the opening night of his Madison Square Garden residency, playing Parton's recording of 'I Will Always Love You' for the audience following the death of the country music icon at age 80.

Styles, who began an unprecedented run of 30 consecutive shows at the storied New York arena, thanked his band and offered a "special thanks to all the musicians who have inspired me over the years," as reported by Billboard.

"Dolly, thank you so much," Styles said, before playing two verses and choruses of 'I Will Always Love You,' which Parton originally released in 1974.

He also invited the crowd to sing along during the first chorus, as per Billboard.

According to Billboard, the...