Music
26 Aug 26

Dolly Parton: Tributes pour in from Paul McCartney, Jane Fonda, Sabrina Carpenter, Páidi Ó Sé's Pub and more

Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton and Jane Fonda in 9 to 5. Credit: 20th Century Fox / Photofest

"She was many things… lyricist, songstress, player of many instruments, writer, prankster, visionary, loyal friend..." Jane Fonda reflected.

Tributes have continued to pour in overnight for Dolly Parton – following the sad news of the country music legend's death, aged 80.

According to her publicist, Marcel Pariseau, Dolly died after a "brief battle with cancer".

"Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones," his statement reads.

Taking to social media, Paul McCartney shared an image of himself and his family meeting Dolly and Porter Wagoner, back in 1974.

"I first met her in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry where she had been playing with the country star Porter Wagoner and was about to start her solo career," he wrote. "She was so bubbly and full of life it is difficult to take in the news that she has passed.

"Her songwriting, her singing and her philanthropy were unrivalled in the world of country music and it is hard to imagine living in a world without Dolly. She was a very clever business woman who understood the value of her music and, most importantly, the effect that she had on the people of the world. There was no greater honour for me than to have her sing my song 'Let It Be' and, even though I only made a small contribution to it, I am so honoured that she did it. I am so proud to have known her and admire her unique talents. Thanks Dolly for the beautiful music you gave me and the whole world..."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Paul McCartney (@paulmccartney)

Jane Fonda – who starred alongside Dolly in the 1980 film 9 to 5 – said she was "devastated" to hear the news of her passing.

"I know that millions are mourning and I want to say this – 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," she remarked. "We have our memories of her, her songs, Dollywood, '9to5,' the millions of books she got into the hands of children, all the iconic images that bring her to us. And they are all blessings.

"Let’s be grateful for all that she has left us to ease our sadness now. I 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. She was many things…lyricist, songstress, player of many instruments, writer, prankster, visionary, loyal friend, who’d never go to bed before she and her friends had laughed so hard they’d have to cross their legs..."

Dolly's co-stars from 1989's Steel Magnolias also paid tribute, with Julia Roberts describing her in a statement as "a magical and joyous human." Sally Field noted that, "if there are truly angels on earth, then we have just lost one."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sally Field (@sallyfield)

On his Instagram Stories, former US President Barack Obama stated: "It's hard to imagine many people having a bigger impact than Dolly Parton. Born in a one-room cabin, she earned 11 Grammys and an Emmy, built a business empire, helped millions of kids learn to read, and – if that wasn't enough – helped accelerate the research that led to the Moderna COVID vaccine. What a life. Michelle and I are thinking of Dolly's family and her many, many fans."

Sabrina Carpenter – who collaborated with Dolly on a remix of 'Please Please Please' last year – said she will cherish their "laughter and conversations."

"[A]nd I will keep your wisdom, your playful outlook on life, and perfect sense of humour in my pocket for the rainy days," she continued. "There will never be another you and how lucky are we all to have experienced your singular magic as well as your once in a lifetime voice, songs, and heart. Your light will be something the world will search forever to find again."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sabrina Carpenter (@sabrinacarpenter)

Taylor Swift also paid tribute in a statement, noting “her legacy will be an everlasting one.”

“A world without Dolly doesn’t feel possible, real or right,” she said. “But because of the eternally generous way she spent her time on this earth and the countless lives she changed for the better, her legacy will be an everlasting one. She managed to give the world the ultimate mystery and fantasy in some corners of her life, but to give full transparency in the ways that counted. Somehow she was true grace and true grit, all in one dazzling person. She possessed the softest heart when it came to the struggles of others, and a backbone of steel to defend her own self worth as an artist."

Swift’s statement continued, “Along with her other fans, I am so grateful for all of it. For the melodies and lyrics she wrote that thawed even the coldest hearts."

“For the millions of books she provided children all over the world so that they might fall in love with stories the way she did. For the tightropes she walked so that young girls like me could grow up dreaming of joining the circus too. Dolly, I’ll think of you each step of the way.”

Rapper Eminem noted that while he had never met Parton, she made her mark on his life by sending him a note when he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame calling him “very special.”

“I’m sorry we never got a chance to meet, but getting this note from Dolly really had an impact on me. She definitely didn’t have to take the time to do it,” he said.

“Even for a kid who mostly listened to rap music, she was an icon,” he added. “A superstar in every sense. Rest easy Dolly. And thank you for the kind words.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Marshall Mathers (@eminem)

In a statement shared to her Facebook page, Linda Ronstadt – who worked closely with Dolly, and Emmylou Harris, for the collaborative Trio and Trio II albums – said she was "deeply saddened" by the passing of her friend.

"One of the most extraordinary musical experiences of my life was recording with her," she added. The world is a poorer place without her.”

Fellow country music legend Reba McEntire also paid tribute to her "buddy Dolly."

"Dolly, thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth," she wrote. "Your love, your music and you gave so much with your huge huge heart. There will never ever be another you. We will remember and cherish every memory and every note you ever played and sang.

"Thank you, Lord, for Dolly. She’s gonna have a blast in heaven singing all her favourite songs with all her family and friends who have gone on before her. I’ll never forget the first time I met you and I’ll never forget our last conversation. I hold it with love in my heart."

Here in Ireland, Páidi Ó Sé's Pub in Ventry shared a moving tribute – recalling her visit to West Kerry in 1990.

"Dolly was visiting Dingle with one of her managers, Walter Hagan, who had a connection to Ventry," the pub wrote online. "Dolly and Walter took a drive around the area heading for Slea Head and stopped at our little shop here in Ventry, where they met Páidí’s mother, Beatrice. Beatrice, of course, ever the business woman invited Dolly to come to the pub that night!

"What followed was one of those unforgettable nights that became part of the story of the pub. Dolly sang 'A Coat of Many Colors' alongside the great Steve Cooney and the late James Begley. Prior to singing the song, Páidí presented her with his All Ireland winning jersey which he wore as captain in 1985. A very cherished gift!

"There was something very fitting about Dolly and Páidí. They came from two very different corners of the world, but they had plenty in common. Both larger than life. Both immensely proud of where they came from. Both with a great love of people, stories and music. The photographs attached have hung here ever since, a reminder of the night one of the greatest stars in the world found her way to beautiful Ventry! We thank Dolly for that special night. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam dílis."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Páidi Ó Sé's Ventry (@paidiose5)

Irish country singer Margo O’Donnell said she had been “praying for a miracle” but knew the music legend was more seriously ill than people realised.

“I wouldn’t talk to her every week or every month but I was always in touch and always kept in touch with her,” she said. “Every time that she would come over to say, London, or when she was in Belfast and Dublin and all that, I would get a call and I would hop on a plane and off I’d go and we’d spend time together.”

She also recalled visiting Parton’s home at Locust Ridge in Tennessee, where the singer grew up.

“I’ll never forget the first time that I went to Locust Ridge, where she was reared on the farm. I’ll never even forget the view. You could see where she sat on the front porch and she wrote most of her stuff. Even in latter years, she went back to Locust Ridge to write. They all loved her, they really did. And I loved her.”

CMAT also noted that "we owe her everything" to Dolly, before remarking: "I will always love you..."

Graham Norton, meanwhile, described it as "heartbreaking news."

"I only met and worked with Dolly a few times so it’s hard to explain the bond I felt," he wrote. "She was the best of us and lived her life in a way we should all aspire to. Her talent and humanity were beyond compare."

Irish singer Maura O’Connell also paid tribute, describing collaborating with her as “extra special.”

Parton provided harmony vocals on O’Connell’s recording of Jimmy MacCarthy’s The Bright Blue Rose, which appeared on her 2009 album Naked with Friends.

“The song is very special and having Dolly sing in it was extra special,” O’Connell said. “Even though I wasn’t in the studio when she recorded it, I was told that she loved the song and she loved the sentiment and she loved the spirituality of it. Of course, it was an honour to have her sing. Anything to do with Dolly was an honour.”

“She was very self-deprecating, but she was beyond everything you could imagine,” she continued. “She was just very special and her voice was very, very beautiful and that was just one of her many talents. She seemed to be very warm, very kind, smart and very funny.”

See more tributes to Dolly Parton below: