An Australian country music legend has paid tribute to Dolly Parton who has died aged 80.
The 11-times Golden Guitar winner, Beccy Cole took to social media to share her condolences following the tragic news.
“I am devastated. My hero is gone,” Cole wrote in a Facebook post.
“She is the reason I am who I am.”
Cole, who is originally from Glenelg, described the larger-than-life star as her “inspiration”, adding that she had “286 pictures” of Parton plastered on her wall when she was a little girl.
“How do you thank someone for a lifetime of inspiration?,” she wrote.
“How grateful I am. Vale Dolly Parton.”
Along with the touching words, Cole shared a series of images of her and her idol over the years.
Parton, who was loved worldwide for her dazzling personality and playlist of hits, last visited Adelaide in 2014 when she performed at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre while on her Blue Smoke World Tour.
During her performance, Parton delighted crowds with her hit tune, I Will Always Love You along with other favourites including 9 to 5 and Jolene.
In 2013, Dolly’s Parton’s Imagination Library – which gifts free books to children – was brought to Australia with the help of United Way Australia.
It launched in SA in 2014 with United Way’s South Australian branch estimating that more than 70,000 books have been home delivered to local children over the past 12 years.