Northern Kentucky country music star Carly Pearce is among the many celebrities paying tribute to Dolly Parton, the "Queen of Country" singing icon, who passed away Aug. 25 after a "brief battle with cancer." She was 80.
When Pearce, a Taylor Mill native, was a little girl, she said she wanted to be like Parton. And, at 15, her family uprooted their lives so she could start chasing her dreams, working in the country show at Dollywood, Parton's amusement park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Since then, she not only got to work with Parton, but she also got to know her.
"She was exactly who we all hoped she would be − kind, funny, gracious, and one of a kind. Heaven got a whole lot sassier, funnier, and brighter today. I will do my part as a woman in country
music to continue carrying the light she shined so brightly for all of us," Pearce wrote on social media Aug. 25.
I’ve said often in my life, “What will the world be without Dolly?” From the time I was a little girl, I wanted to be just like her. At 15 years old, my family uprooted their lives so I could start chasing my dreams, working in the country show at Dollywood. Since then, I’ve had… pic.twitter.com/lB1kOffhsD
— Carly Pearce (@carlypearce) August 25, 2026
Pearce recently paid tribute to the iconic country star at the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Honorson Aug. 19. The Northern Kentucky native hosted the show alongside Parker McCollum, who helped her open the show with Parton's "Islands In The Stream."
Pearce later returned to the stage with Carter Faith and Kaitlin Butts to pay tribute to Parton, covering her classic working-woman anthem "9 to 5."
Parton was honored with the Poet's Award during the event in Nashville and accepted the award virtually.
"You know, I've been able to do many things throughout my life, but at my core, songwriting has always been the most important part of who I am creatively," Parton said on the prerecorded video. "Every dream I ever had and all the dreams that I’ve been able to see come true in life, well they all started with a song. Songwriting has been my therapy; songwriting has been my release, my joy. Songwriting has been a gift from God that has allowed me to touch people with words and music."
Dolly Parton's cancer battle revealed
The country music icon died at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville after being hospitalized there Aug. 21. Parton's representatives described her illness as a brief battle with cancer but did not disclose what type she had.
In a statement, Parton's representatives reflected on her legacy while sharing more about her final days:
"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. After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones."
The diagnosis had not been publicly known.
Parton's death was announced Aug. 25 by her nephew Bryan Seaver on social media, who spoke on behalf of the Parton and Owens families. Seaver, the son of Parton's sister Cassie, had also served as his aunt's head of security for more than two decades.
The cancer diagnosis provides new context to a series of health concerns that had caused Parton to pull back from some public appearances over the past year.
In September 2025, Parton postponed a planned Las Vegas residency, saying she needed to undergo several medical procedures. The six concerts, originally scheduled for December 2025, were moved to September 2026.
Parton did not disclose the nature of those procedures at the time.
Parton made what would become her final public appearance June 24 at the opening of Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stop in Cornersville, Tennessee.
USA TODAY's Liza Esquibias and Bryan West contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Carly Pierce honored Dolly Parton at ACM Honors; now she's paying tribute
