Rock legends including Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney and Elton John have paid tribute to Dolly Parton following the death of the country music icon at the age of 80.
Dolly died in Nashville on Tuesday, August 25, after a brief battle with cancer, bringing an end to a seven-decade career that saw her become one of the most successful and influential songwriters and performers of all time.
Her music crossed effortlessly into rock and pop, with artists from The Beatles and The Rolling Stones generation to Jack White and today's biggest stars taking inspiration from her songwriting.
Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger shared a photograph of himself with Dolly as he remembered her as a hugely influential performer.
“What a wonderful songwriter and singer Dolly was. She brought so many people together, we will all miss her so much,” he wrote.
Sir Paul McCartney also reflected on his first meeting with Dolly, which took place in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry before she launched her solo career.
McCartney recalled that “she was so bubbly and full of life” and said it was “difficult to take in the news that she has passed.”
“Her songwriting, her singing and her philanthropy were unrivaled in the world of country music and it is hard to imagine living in a world without Dolly,” he said.
McCartney had a particularly strong connection to Dolly's music and recently appeared on her Rockstar project, with Parton recording a version of The Beatles classic Let It Be.
Elton John was also among the music legends mourning her death.
The British singer said he was “shocked and devastated” by the news, describing Dolly as “a giant of an artist - unique and irreplaceable, with the kindest heart.”
Sir Rod Stewart said he was “absolutely floored” by the news.
Another major figure from the world of rock, Jack White, paid tribute to Dolly during a live show in London by performing her iconic song Jolene.
White, who has long cited Dolly's songwriting influence and has covered the song himself, also shared a tribute following her death.
Melissa Etheridge said “words fail me today” as she remembered the country legend.
“I feel 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,” she wrote.
Cyndi Lauper also reflected on Dolly's influence, saying it was “hard for me to imagine the world without Dolly.”
She described her as “a role model for all of us” and said Dolly constantly made her stop and think: “What would Dolly do?”
Linda Ronstadt, who recorded with Dolly, said she was “deeply saddened” by the death of her friend.
“One of the most extraordinary musical experiences of my life was recording with her. The world is a poorer place without her,” she said.
Dolly's impact on other musicians was perhaps best demonstrated by the sheer number of genres represented in the tributes.
Eminem remembered a letter Dolly sent him following his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Dolly had written: “Even though I don’t know a lot about rap music, I’ve come to know you are the very best of it.”
She also told him she had always felt “some unexplained connection” to him.
Eminem said the message had made a lasting impact.
“She definitely didn’t have to take the time to do it. Even for a kid who mostly listened to rap music, she was an icon. A superstar in every sense,” he wrote.
Dolly herself eventually joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, despite initially expressing reservations about entering the institution as a country artist.
Her songwriting had long attracted admiration from musicians outside the country world.
She wrote and recorded I Will Always Love You, which later became a global smash for Whitney Houston, while Jolene has been covered by artists across rock, pop and alternative music.
Her 1980 song 9 to 5 also became one of her biggest crossover hits, while her acting career brought her into the world of Hollywood alongside stars including Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Julia Roberts.
Priscilla Presley recalled one particularly emotional connection to I Will Always Love You.
She remembered that after she and Elvis Presley left the courthouse following their divorce, Elvis sang the song to her as they walked down the steps together.
“Her music touched all of us, but it was Dolly's warmth, humour and enormous heart that made her truly one of a kind,” Presley said.
Keith Urban, who collaborated with Dolly, was also left heartbroken by the news.
“Heartbroken today. Honestly … I have no words right now,” he said.
Donatella Versace remembered Dolly as “one of the kindest and most generous of souls” and “the greatest of story tellers and a true legend of music.”
The tributes were not limited to musicians.
Jane Fonda, Dolly's co-star in 9 to 5, said the singer would remain with people because of the way she lived her life.
“More than anyone I have ever known, Dolly will always be with us because she was so present, so powerful, so generous and playful that she is woven into all our lives and hearts forever,” Fonda said.
Sabrina Carpenter also paid tribute to Dolly's voice and songwriting, while Taylor Swift praised her “true grace and true grit, all in one dazzling person.”
Beyoncé called Dolly the “barometer” and “north star”, while Oprah Winfrey remembered the singer's huge personality and the life she built after growing up in poverty in Tennessee.
Dolly's philanthropic work was another major part of the tributes.
She established the Imagination Library in 1995, a book-gifting programme inspired in part by her father, who was unable to read or write.
The programme has since distributed hundreds of millions of books to children.
Voir cette publication sur Instagram
Dolly also donated $1 million towards Covid-19 vaccine research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, while her wider charitable work included support for disaster relief, education and children's healthcare.
Her family said following her death that her legacy was not only her music but also her “wit, warmth and kindness that made us all feel like family.”
For musicians such as Jagger, McCartney, Elton John and Ronstadt, Dolly represented something that went beyond genre.
She was a songwriter whose work could be interpreted by rock stars, pop singers, country artists and performers from completely different musical worlds.
As Mick Jagger put it, Dolly “brought so many people together” — a fitting tribute to an artist whose music spent decades doing exactly that.
