Reflecting the magnitude of her influence and impact, Dolly Parton’s death drew immediate tributes from across industries, genres, generations, places and people.
Entertainers, film stars, politicians and everyday people who benefited from her generosity and her enterprises quickly filled social media with their stories of how she improved their lives, how her songs uplifted or taught them, how she made them laugh and how they just loved who she was.
The accolades poured in from around the globe, offered up from sources as varied as country music superstars Reba McEntire, Kacey Musgraves and Linda Ronstadt to Khloe Kardashian and the Muppets, as well as singers and other celebrities, including Mick Jagger, Dionne Warwick, Pink, Keke Palmer, Lily Tomlin, Kelly Clarkson, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and fashion designer Donatella Versace.
President Donald Trump ordered flags lowered for a week, writing on Truth Social, “There has never been anyone like her, and there never will,” as politicians from both sides of the aisle paid tribute.
Former President Bill Clinton wrote on social media that Parton was “one of a kind — a great songwriter and performer who told the stories of everyday Americans with honesty, humility, and heart. She rose high from her East Tennessee roots and never forgot where she came from.”
McEntire wrote of getting the news that “my buddy Dolly passed onto the higher and greater side.” She thanked her for “all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth” and said, “There will never ever be another you.”
Some of country music’s royalty sang her praises and were joined by a younger generation of musicians and songwriters who heralded her as an inspiration.
“This really hurts,” wrote Musgraves, a multiple Grammy award winner.
Parton drew an homage from the “King of Country Music,” George Strait, who said on Facebook: “You’ve had such a huge impact all over the world, @dollyparton. We will all miss you. May God bless the Parton family.”
The adoration was not confined to country music. “She was a sweet and kind soul and I’m proud to say I knew her. ... There will never be another Dolly,” said Gene Simmons, bassist and co-founder of the hard rock band Kiss.
The Muppets posted a black-and-white photo of Parton with Miss Piggy, saying, “She filled the world with light and we are so grateful for every second we got to spend with her onstage and off.”
Comedian Lily Tomlin, Parton’s longtime friend, wrote, “No words...” followed by a broken heart emoji, alongside a black-and-white photo of the two, side by side with large smiles.
In a video reel, Tomlin featured photos of herself with Jane Fonda, who co-starred with them in the 1980s hit “9 to 5.” Parton’s title song for the 1980 movie — which topped the Billboard country chart — played in the background.
National Organization for Women President Kim Villanueva said in a statement that Parton “defined feminism,” adding that her role in “9 to 5” emphasized that women in the workplace “deserved to be treated equally and with respect.”
“She encouraged women to embrace who they wanted to be and stand up for their values,” Villanueva wrote.
Donna Brazile, the former chair of the Democratic National Convention, posted that Parton “spent decades quietly funding band uniforms and instruments at Black high schools across the South — never once putting her name on it. No headlines, no fanfare — just help, given because it was needed.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Tim Burchett, a Republican from Tennessee, Parton’s native state, said the state had lost one of its greatest ambassadors, who represented “the very best of the American dream.”
Parton’s music “inspired generations of Americans and her philanthropic work helped provide greater access to education for countless young Tennesseans,” he said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote on X, “Rest in peace, Dolly Parton — a true legend and a force for good.”
Parton’s Dollywood Foundation focused on improving children’s educational success and stemming dropout rates in Tennessee. It gave birth to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which sent books to children around the world. Her work was inspired by her father’s illiteracy.
A father who said he’s in Australia posted on X that his young daughter got her first book Monday night from Parton’s Imagination Library. All of his children read it with their mother and laughed and enjoyed it, he said.
The Library of Congress posted a photo of Parton, with reading glasses, conducting a story time book reading to children at the library. It described her as a “titan of children’s literacy” and said she donated the 100 millionth book to its collection.
Parton helped fund crucial infectious disease research, with Scientific American paying tribute to her for her $1 million donation to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, to help fund an early-stage trial of the Covid vaccine in 2020. She told NBC News that she donated to the vaccine effort because “I just wanted to do good.”
She also helped promote Covid vaccinations with a video of her getting the shot and an adjustment to her song “Jolene” to “Vaccine.”
The Motion Picture Academy awarded her its Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award last year.
Dollywood, Parton’s much-beloved theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, will open Wednesday.
“In her spirit, Dollywood will be open Wednesday as Dolly wanted, always reminding everyone with her signature sparkle — ‘the show must go on,’” the company said in a statement. “Together, we honor her by carrying forward her message of love, perseverance and hope.”
