Following the death of country music star Dolly Parton on Aug. 25, former Tennessee governor and Nashville Predators majority owner Bill Haslam has released the following statement.
"One of a kind does not begin to describe Dolly," Haslam said. "She was confident, but humble. A savvy marketer, and as genuine as the day is long. One of the biggest stars in the world, but still able to laugh at herself. Singer, songwriter, and could also play seven different instruments when you heard her in a concert."
"One of my favorite memories is one time when Dolly was filming a commercial for the Imagination Library with Crissy and me," Haslam added. "During a break, her stylist swooped in to touch up her hair and makeup. Crissy jokingly said, 'Hey, what
about me?' And, with that, Dolly grabbed the hairbrush from the stylist and worked on Crissy’s hair. That was Dolly. Even though she was always the center of attention, she didn’t have to be the focus. Crissy and I will both miss her."
Parton, whose death announced by her family on Aug. 25, was 80 years old.
Parton's career included 11 Grammy Awards, three Emmy Awards, 50 albums, 44 top 10 albums, 25 No. 1 singles and more than 100 million records sold. She was also a dedicated philanthropist, particularly in the area of literacy: The Dollywood Foundation and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library helped deliver millions of children's books to houses across the world, free of charge.
Following eight years as Mayor of Knoxville (2003-2011), Haslam served two terms as Tennessee's governor (2011-2019) . In 2023, Haslam announced his intention to buy a majority ownership stake in the Predators, which was made official in the summer of 2025.
Other Tennessee lawmakers, including current Tennessee governor Bill Lee, have also released statements mourning the loss of Parton.
"Certainly, Tennessee has lost one of her most iconic and remarkable citizens," Gov. Bill Lee said, during an event at the State Capitol on the afternoon of Aug. 25. "She was the perfect example of loving your neighbor, reaching out to them, and loving and serving them."
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com, follow him on X at@alexdaugherty1 or check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Read former Tennessee governor Bill Haslam's statement on Dolly Parton's death
