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Many of us are struggling to come to terms with Dolly Parton’s demise, especially because she had been giving fans her light, particularly in times of uncertainty and darkness. Parton has stayed true to her craft and purpose as one of the most famous singer-songwriters, actresses and philanthropists. This is despite how Parton enjoyed brief detours into the pop charts and released a rock album in 2023. With Parton active since 1956, it’s impressive that she has 25 number one singles on the Billboard charts, making her on par with fellow industry veteran Reba McEntire. Parton’s self-deprecating wit is her trademark. “It costs a lot of money to look this cheap”, she’d say about her style and fashion sense.

Parton is one of those who’s able to relate across generations. So, even if you’ve not heard of her songs in the ‘70s or ‘80s, you’d have likely heard of her much later in the 2010s onwards, via her duets with and/or tributes by Miley Cyrus, Dolly Parton’s goddaughter and seventh cousins once removed.

Parton had also a number of film roles from 2015 onwards, including in Christmas specials. Parton also made more than 400 television appearances.

In interviews, Parton called herself dirt-poor, even when she’s already gained fans across the globe. Now, how many artists today can actually remember where they came from and how much it took them to get out of difficulty or poverty?

Parton was never ashamed of her illiterate father. In fact, the younger Parton would acknowledge him as one of the smartest persons she knows. Parton grew up in a family of 12 and lived in a house with no running water in Tennessee. Parton credits her mother for her musical sense and her father for her work ethic.

Her humble background meant that Parton had to work hard and with compassion. Perhaps, it’s what inspired her cheeky swipe at a mean boss “9 to 5”, a track she had written for the musical film about working life and a mean, toxic boss. Well, the irony is (I’m pretty sure) she had worked beyond the standard working hours of 9 to 5, as normally presented to workers by corporates.

Parton had also written “Jolene” on the same day as “I Will Always Love You”, the latter popularised by Whitney Houston for “The Bodyguard”, the 1992 thriller-romance film, under the direction of David Foster, and after receiving an informal “yes” from Parton, after co-star Kevin Costner asked for permission to use Parton’s song.  Elvis Presley apparently wanted to cover “I Will Always Love You” as well, but Parton declined as Presley’s manager made it a condition that Presley would own half of the publishing rights. One refusal led to another agreement, and that’s how you’ll always remember the hauntingly beautiful, breathtaking version of “I Will Always Love You”. “Jolene” has been covered across multiple music genres, including artists like “The White Stripes”, Miley Cyrus, Olivia Newton-John, and Beyonce (who made a conscious decision to switch from R&B to country). In 2023, as part of a medley of songs to ring in the New Year, Miley Cyrus performed a duet of “Jolene” with Parton, the last time they were seen together.

Her father’s illiteracy spurred Parton to set up the Imagination Library, which is a voluntary project that ensures that as many children have access to reading materials. Children from birth till age five will receive one new book per month, regardless of family income. These books are carefully selected by a committee of literacy experts to ensure that these match the child’s reading level. Graduating children will receive a letter from Dolly Parton as a token of appreciation and as a way of encouraging these children to continue reading and developing their literacy and thinking skills in school.  First open to children in the US, the project has expanded elsewhere, including Australia and Ireland, in view of her global reach and usually positive connotations through her songs and philanthropy.

In 1986, the Dollywood Theme Park was opened, with Dolly Parton as one of the owners, to celebrate Parton’s local heritage, including traditional regional crafts, and live bluegrass and country music. Parton started Dollywood as a way of giving back to her community by showcasing the beauty, warmth, and the spirit of her hometown of East Tennessee. Dollywood is Parton’s way of creating stable jobs and making Sevier County more tourist-friendly. All of these would mean a boost to the local economy.

Every year, Dollywood theme park would host a number of concerts and musical events, including appearances by Parton herself, until her death. Local and national musical acts would also participate in such shows.

It goes without saying that Parton has inspired many, and will continue to inspire the younger generation, or maybe even gain new fans, after Parton’s death. Artists like Scotty McCreery, Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, Taylor Swift, Eminem and Hilary Duff have all paid tributes, calling Parton one of their major influences to their creative pursuits and for giving them perspectives to life.

Joining in the tributes is the 27-year-old collaborator and close friend Sabrina Carpenter, who did a remix of her original “Please, Please, Please” to be a fun song.

Reese Whiterspoon, of the “Legally Blonde” movies and a spinoff of the original films, also remembers Parton as a source of an inspiration due to her idea of womanhood. Other than that, Whiterspoon has Parton to thank for giving her advice on how one must be a storyteller for every role you play, and at the time, Whiterspoon was preparing for a role in a 2005 film.

Jane Fonda, who co-starred in the iconic “9 to 5” film about working women, wrote about Parton with such fondness, honesty, and remembering her naughty, cheerful personality. Elsewhere, reminiscing about their time together on the comedy film about a matriarch and her friends, Julia Roberts, who played the character Susan, stated that Parton was magical and joyous.

Perhaps, the funniest to ever come to life, following Dolly Parton’s death has to be the tribute on the Jimmy Fallon Show, where Miley Cyrus and Jimmy Fallon himself are shown all dressed up as and impersonating the late Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, who worked on “Islands in the Stream”, written by the Australian trio brothers “The Bee Gees”. It’s circulating on social media now. I think that perfectly captures much of Parton’s personality, even when you’re re-watching it now. Is it funnier now than when it was first shown in 2018?

Parton will hopefully also remembered by the children she donated books to, since Parton had trouble conceiving, due to severe endometriosis. Parton was determined to live on well into her 90s, although she had kidney stones and immune system problems. It has been reported that Parton died of a form of undisclosed cancer.

Parton’s last known public appearance was in June 2026, when she did the ribbon-cutting to symbolise the opening of “Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop”.

Parton had been overseeing the Broadway development of the musical “Dolly, the True Original”, as well as working on the early development of “avatar performances” for fans, and also a new museum and hotel project, to be opened in Nashville. Previews of the new musical will begin 7 December 2026, with opening night set for 19 January 2027.

Parton’s death comes 17 months after the passing of Parton’s own husband. Parton developed and overlooked her own symptoms, which ultimately led to her health deterioration, while being the caregiver of her husband.

Parton, 80, died at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Centre, Nashville, Tennessee.