Los Angeles [US], August 26 (ANI): Hollywood and the music world are mourning country music icon Dolly Parton, who died in Nashville at the age of 80, with stars including Sabrina Carpenter, Beyonce, Elton John, Jamie Lee Curtis, Carol Burnett and Kelly Clarkson remembering the singer, actress and philanthropist, Deadline reported.
Parton, known for hits including "Jolene", "9 to 5" and "I Will Always Love You", had faced health issues in recent months that led her to cancel appearances and postpone performances. Her death has triggered an outpouring of tributes from across the entertainment industry.
Sabrina Carpenter, who collaborated with Parton on a deluxe version of her hit "Please Please Please", remembered the country star as an "angel walking the earth".
"I 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," Carpenter wrote. She added, "There will never be another you" and praised Parton's "once in a lifetime voice".
Beyonce, who covered Parton's "Jolene" on her album 'Cowboy Carter' and featured her on "Tyrant", called her "the barometer" and "the North Star".
"You taught so many lessons on how to be uniquely oneself," Beyonce wrote, thanking Parton for her art, generosity, humour and entrepreneurship.
Kelly Clarkson said Parton had a way of making everyone feel "special, and seen, and welcomed", while Dionne Warwick wrote that she would miss her friend's "laughter, jokes and her being".
Actor Pedro Pascal called Parton "one of one", while Keke Palmer simply wrote, "I'm devastated."
Carol Burnett shared a personal memory of filming "Carol and Dolly" in Nashville, recalling how Parton personally cooked individual Thanksgiving dinners for everyone involved. "We were a family. That's who she was," Burnett wrote, Deadline reported.
Octavia Spencer called Parton "a gift to the world", praising her voice, philanthropic heart and warmth. Colman Domingo said Parton taught people "that you can be anything and do anything and to do it with kindness".
Jamie Lee Curtis paid tribute to Parton's courage and creativity, saying her decision to move forward into new possibilities helped lead to the writing of "I Will Always Love You". "Thank you, Dolly," Curtis wrote. "For all of it," according to Deadline.
Tributes also came from Lily Tomlin, Bette Midler, Patton Oswalt, Andy Cohen, Kristin Chenoweth, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kelly Osbourne, Brene Brown, Holly Robinson Peete, Katharine McPhee Foster and others.
Among musicians, Kacey Musgraves, Mick Jagger, Cyndi Lauper, Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand, Sheryl Crow, Blake Shelton, Linda Ronstadt, Vince Gill, Keith Urban and Elton John also mourned Parton.
Elton John described her as "a giant of an artist, unique and irreplaceable, with the kindest heart", while Linda Ronstadt remembered recording with Parton as one of the most extraordinary musical experiences of her life.
"Dolly was pure light sent from heaven. My mentor is gone. My songwriting teacher and hero of grace and humility. There is a hole in my heart but the joy of just the thought of her smile will continue to fill me with inspiration for as long as I live. I will cherish this moment performing Coat Of Many Colors with Dolly forever. Goodbye Dolly. Rest in peace, beautiful angel," wrote Shania Twain on X..
The Bellamy Brothers, who recorded with Parton, said they had loved her like everyone who was lucky enough to cross her path. Jack White summed up his tribute in two words: "Instant Sainthood."
The tributes also highlighted Parton's impact beyond music. GLAAD praised her decades of support for LGBTQ people and called her a global queer icon, while the Academy of Country Music said her legacy reached "far beyond the stage". SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin described her as a talent revered across generations and said her "basic humanity is known to the world".
Sony Music Group said Parton showed that an artist's legacy is measured not only in songs, but also in "lives changed".
Khloe Kardashian remembered Parton as a "once-in-a-lifetime soul" whose "light, heart, talent and humanity changed this world forever."
As tributes continue to pour in, Parton is being remembered not only for her extraordinary music career but also for the warmth, generosity and inclusivity that made her beloved across generations. (ANI)
Beyonce, Elton John, Sabrina Carpenter pay heartfelt tributes to late music icon Dolly Parton
