Stars are paying tribute to Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee, at 80.
Parton was among the most beloved personalities in music and beyond — the rare celebrity whose appeal transcended generations, geography and politics.
Here is a roundup of notable reactions to Parton’s death and legacy:
“The Heavenly Father has made the decision to bring another of his children to him. Dolly a true child of God is in the best hands now.” — via
statement.
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of my friend, Dolly Parton. One of the most extraordinary musical experiences of my life was recording with her. The world is a poorer place without her.” — via statement.
“Dolly Parton had a way of making everyone feel special, and seen, and welcomed, and as if you were old friends. I will miss her heart and her voice as I am sure millions will. What an incredible gift and talent she was and still is with an amazing catalogue of art she has left behind for all of us.” — via X.
“Words fail me today, words to describe the spirit that was Dolly. I was blessed with knowing her, just a little. We all were. I will strive the rest of my days to be as joyful and loving as she was. Her talent and gifts she gave us will live on for generations. We are a better world because she walked among us. May she live in the stars of the night and in the light of our days.” — via X.
“Like the rest of the world, I’m immediately heartbroken. I met Dolly on several occasions and she always made me feel like one of her own. She even agreed to sing with me on one of my records. My ultimate inspiration. The world has lost one of the best but I know we will never forget her because she is impossible to forget. I love you Dolly and I will ALWAYS love you." — via X.
“You’ve had such a huge impact on so many people all over the world, @DollyParton. We will all miss you. May God bless the Parton family.” — via X.
“The world feels a lot less sparkly all of a sudden.” — via X.
“They say don’t meet your heroes. Her bravery to know that she was more than they thought she was and that she needed to break away and move on into new work and new possibilities led her to write I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU, as her way of thanking and loving, but moving on. She is a great example for us all.” — via Instagram.
“I can say with absolute certainty that we are all feeling the same heart brokenness today. I only got to spend any real time with Dolly when Gwen and I got to work with her on ‘The Voice.’ I want everyone to know that she was the EXACT person that you think she is. It was like being with the funnest, most loving, most caring and closest member of your family. Truly a loss for the entire world. We love you Dolly.” — via X.
“The news of Dolly Parton’s passing is devastating. I had the extraordinary experience of working with her on ‘The Orville,’ and it was a joy to discover that she really was exactly the person we all hoped she was. Her kindness, generosity, and authenticity were evident from moment one, and the benign yet assured command she maintained over her empire was obvious from the genuine love and trust you could see from everyone who worked for her. The world is a dimmer place today without her.” — via X.
“Thank you Lord for giving Dolly to us. What a gift. What a loss.” — via X.
“Rip Legend. We saw her in concert at the Hollywood Bowl a few years ago. She was so delightful and funny, and had a voice that could break hearts! Somehow you wanted to believe that Dolly would always be forever young, and never leave us.” — via X.
“Well, I just got the news that my buddy Dolly passed onto the higher and greater side. Dolly, thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth. Your love, your music and you gave so much with your huge huge heart. There will never ever be another you.” — via X.
“Dolly taught us that you can be anything and do anything and to do it with kindness. What a light. We are all grateful that we lived in a time of Dolly Parton. We will always love her.” — via X.
“One of twelve children raised in a cabin, Dolly Parton left home carrying nothing but songs to become the most beloved figure in American music. She wrote ‘I Will Always Love You’ as a goodbye to Porter Wagoner. Today it belongs to all of us.” — via X.
“What a wonderful songwriter and singer Dolly was. She brought so many people together, we will all miss her so much.” — via X.
“The great and singular true queen, Dolly Parton, has died. She blessed the world with her beautiful songs and blessed humanity with her caring and generous heart... Your glory will live on in your songs and great accomplishments.” — via a statement.
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This story has been updated to remove a quote from a fan account, incorrectly attributed to the singer Miley Cyrus.
