Los Angeles [US], August 26 (ANI): Taylor Swift has paid tribute to country music icon Dolly Parton following her death at 80, remembering her as a woman of "true grace and true grit" and saying her legacy would "be an everlasting one," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Parton died in Nashville on Tuesday at the age of 80 after a "brief battle with cancer", according to her representatives. Her death has prompted tributes from musicians, actors and fans across the world.
"A world without Dolly doesn't feel possible, real, or right," Swift said in a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter. "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."
Swift described Parton as "the gift that kept on giving", saying she encouraged people to remain true to themselves while sharing her lessons about life with honesty and humour, as per the outlet.
"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," Swift said. "Somehow she was true grace and true grit, all in one dazzling person."
Swift also praised Parton's compassion and strength, saying she had "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."
The singer expressed gratitude for Parton's music and philanthropic work, including her Imagination Library, which has provided millions of books to children around the world, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
"Dolly, I'll think of you each step of the way," Swift concluded.
Swift had also supported Parton's philanthropic work. In July, ahead of her wedding to Travis Kelce, the couple donated USD 26 million to various organisations, including Parton's Imagination Library. Parton later thanked them in an Instagram video, saying she was "blown away and overjoyed" by their generosity.
The country icon jokingly asked Swift and Kelce if she could have their first child, saying, "Now, it's evident, that you have made giving back a key part of your lives, so hey, when you have you firstborn, can I have it? Because that is gonna be one special baby!"
Swift had previously spoken at length about Parton's influence in a 2023 profile for The Hollywood Reporter.
"Dolly is a force of evolution and transformation in our industry, but she does it with such playful levity it almost looks effortless," Swift said, as per the outlet.
She praised Parton's humour, creativity and ability to challenge expectations, saying she showed that "a woman can be a serious artist and writer who also has raucous fun with it".
"She's never stopped challenging herself to clear new hurdles and explore new territory artistically," Swift added, calling Parton "a legendary empath and the storyteller for the ages."
Parton had announced last September that she was postponing a set of Las Vegas concerts because of "some health challenges". She later cancelled her Las Vegas residency in May but continued to reassure fans about her health, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
For Swift, Parton's lasting impact goes beyond her music, with her generosity, storytelling and ability to inspire others becoming central to the legacy she leaves behind. (ANI)
Taylor Swift mourns demise of Dolly Parton, says "her legacy will be an everlasting one"
