Bono found a uniquely Irish way to celebrate Dolly Parton’s milestone birthday.
The U2 frontman surprised the country music legend by sending a bagpiper to serenade her as she marked her 80th birthday on Monday, January 19. Parton shared the joyful moment on Instagram, posting a video of herself sitting on a couch when a kilted bagpiper suddenly appeared and began playing “Happy Birthday.”
“Wow! This is from Bono!” Parton exclaimed as she laughed, blew out the candles on a birthday cake and thanked the musician. The cake featured a handwritten message in icing that read simply, “Love… Bono.”
Always quick with a joke, Parton teased the performer, asking, “Are you calling me an old bag?” before adding with a smile, “That was very thoughtful of you.”
The bagpiper was Irish musician Patrick D’Arcy, who had been sent on behalf of Bono and the members of U2. “It’s an absolute delight to be here on behalf of the whole band,” he told Parton during the surprise.
In the caption of her post, the “Jolene” singer wrote, “Now that’s what you call a surprise! This old bag sure feels the love! 😉💖 Thank you, Bono and @u2 for making my birthday extra special.”
D’Arcy later shared photos from the visit on his own account, revealing that he had also presented Parton with a pint of Guinness and spent time chatting with her. “She was exactly who you’d hope she’d be,” he wrote. “Happy 80th Birthday Dolly!”
Fans and fellow musicians flooded the comments with birthday wishes, including Shania Twain, who wrote, “I love it! Happy birthday Dolly.”
The bagpipe tribute was part of a larger wave of celebrations honoring Parton’s milestone year, which included Tennessee declaring January 19 “Dolly Parton Day.” The surprise also carried a personal cultural touch, as Parton has often spoken about her Scottish roots, tracing her family lineage back to farmers who moved from Scotland to Ireland and later to the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.
At 80, the 11-time Grammy winner shows no signs of slowing down. “People say, ‘Well, you’re going to be 80 years old.’ Well, so what?” she previously told PEOPLE. “Look at all I’ve done in 80 years. I feel like I’m just getting started.”
With a bagpipe serenade from Bono, Parton added yet another unforgettable moment to a legendary career already filled with them.
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