{"id":1024455,"date":"2026-08-26T03:20:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T03:20:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1024455\/"},"modified":"2026-08-26T03:20:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T03:20:11","slug":"dolly-parton-dead-celebrities-react-pay-tribute-to-icon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1024455\/","title":{"rendered":"Dolly Parton dead: Celebrities react, pay tribute to icon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dolly Parton\u2019s death<\/a> has left the music, film and television worlds reeling, with stars and luminaries across those industries and more paying tribute to the beloved entertainer\u2019s life and legacy. <\/p>\n

Parton, the accomplished country music star who became a national treasure and pop culture icon, died Tuesday<\/a> at age 80, her nephew Bryan Seaver announced. The singer-actor-philanthropist died after a series of health issues<\/a> that led her to postpone several performing commitments last year, including a residency in Vegas. She revealed in May that her \u201cimmune system and digestive system got all out of whack\u201d in recent years. <\/p>\n

The entertainer, an authentic and bright personality whose appearance was made even brighter with bedazzled and fringed ensembles, leaves behind a legacy that includes classics \u201cJolene\u201d and \u201cI Will Always Love You\u201d (later popularized by powerhouse singer Whitney Houston) that influenced modern country music acts. Her career also included acting, most notably roles in \u201cSteel Magnolias,\u201d \u201cHannah Montana\u201d and \u201c9 to 5.\u201d <\/p>\n

Lily Tomlin, Parton\u2019s co-star on the 1980 comedy \u201c9 to 5,\u201d uploaded<\/a> a picture of the two to her Instagram profile with the caption: \u201cNo words…\u201d along with a broken heart emoji. <\/p>\n

Jane Fonda, who also starred in the workplace comedy, posted on Instagram<\/a> that she was \u201cdevastated.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI never knew anyone like her. She was simultaneously a naughty, playful southern gal from the hollows of Tennessee and a deep, soulful thinker who could see through people right down to their true selves,\u201d the \u201cMonster-in-Law\u201d star wrote in the caption. \u201cShe was the voluptuous embodiment of empathy.\u201d <\/p>\n

Country singer and actor Reba McEntire dedicated a heartfelt tribute to Parton on her Instagram account<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere will never ever be another you. We will remember and cherish every memory and every note you ever played and sang,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n

The carousel on the post featured various images of the two, who first crossed paths at the Grand Ole Opry\u2019s Opry100 celebration in 1977. Throughout their decades-long friendship<\/a>, the pair were frequent collaborators; Parton was a guest on McEntire\u2018s 2001 self-titled sitcom. In 2021, the country stars finally joined forces for their first duet, an acoustic rendition of \u201cDoes He Love You\u201d for McEntire\u2019s \u201cRevived Remixed Revisited.\u201d<\/p>\n

In an email to The Times, country singer Billy Ray Cyrus recalled the legacy Parton left behind. <\/p>\n

\u201cLike every little boy, I grew up loving Dolly Parton. She was a part of our lives, on our TVs, right in our living rooms,\u201d Cyrus wrote. <\/p>\n

The two stars developed a close friendship after Cyrus opened for her on tour following his 1992 hit \u201cAchy Breaky Heart.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll never forget walking into her dressing room to apologize for all the tabloid stories which claimed I was having an affair with her,\u201d Cyrus added. \u201cIn true Dolly fashion, she just looked at me, winked and said, \u2018Honey, this trash sells records!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Pop starlet Sabrina Carpenter \u2014 who reimagined her hit song \u201cPlease Please Please\u201d as a country-pop song alongside Parton last year \u2014 shared still images of the two in their music video<\/a> to Instagram<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cI will cherish our laughter and conversations and I will keep your wisdom, your playful outlook on life, and perfect sense of humor in my pocket for the rainy days,\u201d Carpenter wrote in the caption. <\/p>\n

Singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, who shared the stage with Parton in 2025 for a Stand Up to Cancer<\/a> benefit concert, wrote on her Instagram story: \u201cThere is a hole in the universe. There was and will never be anyone like @dollyparton.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDolly Parton had a way of making everyone feel seen,\u201d wrote Kelly Clarkson in an Instagram post<\/a>, who just yesterday shared a cover that she had done of Parton\u2019s \u201c9 to 5\u201d for the Season 1 premiere of \u201cThe Kelly Clarkson Show<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI 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,\u201d the \u201cAmerican Idol\u201d star added to her post.<\/p>\n

The late singer later appeared on Season 4 of Clarkson\u2019s talk show, for an impromptu duet of her 1974 song \u201cI Will Always Love You,\u201d a clip that was uploaded to the TV show\u2019s Instagram account<\/a> hours before Parton\u2019s death was officially announced.<\/p>\n

Actors Reese Witherspoon<\/a>, Sarah Jessica Parker<\/a> and Drew Barrymore<\/a> also expressed sorrow for the loss of Parton on their Instagram accounts. <\/p>\n

Grammy-winning singer Kacey Musgraves reacted on X (formerly Twitter) <\/a>to Parton\u2019s death, writing, \u201cthe world feels a lot less sparkly all of a sudden.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Muppets celebrated Parton on Threads<\/a>, writing \u201cthere will never be another quite like Dolly Parton\u201d and posted photos of the musician sharing the screen with Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog. <\/p>\n

The account for the puppet troupe continued: \u201cShe was the ultimate singer, songwriter, actress, performer, and philanthropist. She filled the world with light and we are so grateful for every second we got to spend with her onstage and off.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carole King shared on Threads<\/a> that she was heartbroken by the news. Parton \u201cwas an exemplary human being,\u201d she wrote. <\/p>\n

The Grand Ole Opry said on Instagram<\/a> that Parton\u2019s death \u201cwill be deeply felt for generations to come\u201d and said the legendary musician \u201ctaught us to lead with kindness, generosity, and compassion.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the most extraordinary musical experiences of my life was recording with her,\u201d said Linda Ronstadt on Instagram<\/a>. Ronstadt recorded two albums with Parton and Emmylou Harris, 1987\u2019s \u201cTrio\u201d and 1999\u2019s \u201cTrio II.\u201d \u201cThe world is a poorer place without her.\u201d <\/p>\n

Country music star Maren Morris<\/a>, the Academy of Country Music, <\/a>and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum<\/a> also paid tribute to Parton for her contributions to music, entertainment and beyond. <\/p>\n

Paul McCartney recalled on Instagram<\/a> first meeting the star at Grand Ole Opry ahead of her solo career. <\/p>\n

\u201cShe was so bubbly and full of life it is difficult to take in the news that she passed,\u201d said the Beatles singer, who collaborated with Parton on her rendition of \u201cLet It Be\u201d for her 2023 album, \u201cRockstar.\u201d <\/p>\n

In a post uploaded to Instagram<\/a>, actor Jamie Lee Curtis upheld Dolly\u2019s bravery, writing that \u201cshe was more than they thought she was.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Mandalorian\u201d actor Pedro Pascal posted an image of Parton<\/a> to his Instagram with a caption that read: \u201cOne of one [broken heart]. We must make more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people are so extraordinary, their existence feels almost impossible. Dolly was one of those people,\u201d wrote Khlo\u00e9 Kardashian on her Instagram story<\/a> about the country star, who last year was a guest on her podcast, \u201cKhlo\u00e9 in Wonderland<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA once-in-a-lifetime soul. A woman whose light, heart, talent and humanity changed this world forever,\u201d the 42-year-old Kardashian wrote. \u201cTo have admired her was a gift.\u201d<\/p>\n

United States politicians also chimed in to pay their respects. <\/p>\n

President Trump celebrated Parton \u201cone of the greatest Country singers, and far beyond, EVER\u201d on a post to Truth Social and said \u201cthis is a true loss for millions of people.\u201d He also announced that he would lower the American flag across the country for a week beginning Tuesday evening. <\/p>\n

\u201cRest in Peace, Dolly!\u201d he continued, \u201cthe World loves you.\u201d<\/p>\n

On X, former President Obama also underscored Parton\u2019s altruistic legacy, including her donation to Vanderbilt University for coronavirus research in 2020<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cBorn in a one-room cabin, she earned 11 Grammys and an Emmy, built a business empire, helped millions of kids learn to read, and \u2014 as if that wasn\u2019t enough \u2014 helped accelerate the research that led to the Moderna COVID vaccine,\u201d wrote Obama. <\/p>\n

In a post on Threads<\/a>, Vice President Kamala Harris called Parton a \u201ctrue American icon,\u201d highlighting her work through Imagination Library<\/a>, a global book-gifting program that sends free books to children ages 5 and under. <\/p>\n