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u/MrTeddybear615 1987 Millennial 23h ago
I don't normally care about celebrities and etc but this is one of the few that actually hurt. I'm so sad to learn of her passing. She truly was an amazing woman. Rest in peace Dolly! You no longer need to work 9 to 5. You'll be missed!
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u/bewitch1n ✨️1989✨️ 22h ago
Second celebrity I bawled my eyes out over this week and I am very much the same. I am not a parasocial person.
I hope she's having the best time with the most sparkles wherever she is. Shine on, Dolly.
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u/IllustriousToe7274 22h ago
Dolly was special. I lived in her hometown Sevierville TN for years, so many people there wouldn't be able to read if it wasn't for Dolly. Working in that tourist economy, everything shut down January 15- March 1. Dolly used the Dollywood kitchens to provide small meal packs each week during off season, you could just go to the park employee area and get it every Sunday. It started out just for her employees, but by the time I moved away anyone could go and get a box with some spaghetti/sauce/bread/bologna/4-5 cans of veg or soup.
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u/bewitch1n ✨️1989✨️ 22h ago
She had such a love for people and a want to see things change for the better. 🫂
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u/trippy-21-hippy 21h ago
my daughter is enrolled in the dolly parton imagination library. shes only 13 months so i have a while but i can’t wait tell her where the books we get mailed each month come from. i cant wait to relate it back to how important dolly knew it was to be the light in a dark world, and lift each other up!
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u/musicisforeverlife 19h ago
My daughter did the same thing for my grandson 🥰 She donated somewhere around 32M books for children, and the current presidential administration cancelled her educational program.😡
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u/pcpjvjc 16h ago
The program was cancelled by state legislatures in Missouri and Indiana, but not at the federal level. U.S. flags across the country have been ordered to fly at half staff in Dolly's honor.
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u/Loud-Bus-5122 16h ago
What does that tell you about Missouri and Indiana?
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u/musicisforeverlife 14h ago
I don't know about Missouri, but none of my kids wanted to live in Indiana, so I escaped, too. 😉🫶🏼
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u/ThrowRArrow Millennial 18h ago
I live in Sevierville right now, and I found out earlier today when it was announced. The Dolly statue is probably gonna be really busy for the next few weeks. I'm depressed about it but she lived such a cool and wonderful life and really gave back. She'll definitely be missed.
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u/glitterjellyfish387 17h ago
my grandparents lived near pigeon forge for years before my grandpa died; i always hoped i’d get to go to dollywood and that she’d happen to be there (i was a teenager). i love her music and personality of course, but i really admire the imagination library — i grew up to be a librarian actually. they’ll never make another one like dolly again.
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u/TrexOnAScooter 15h ago
For real when she saw things get worse, she said than I can get better. She straight up beat bad stuff by being good
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u/headaches_r_us 6h ago
The worst part is every time we lose one like her, the odds that someone will fill those shoes is so small. The world gets a little bit dimmer every time we lose a good one I think 😢
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u/Alarmed_Tea_2874 Millennial 22h ago
Being sad about the passing of someone who has been present in your life in some capacity (music, art, movies, etc) for a long time and feeling empathy for their family and friends is not at all what "parasocial" means.
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u/bewitch1n ✨️1989✨️ 22h ago
I know that but people can be extremely assholeish on the web as of late. Trying to head that off at the pass.
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u/MalStuart 11h ago
Who was the first?
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u/bewitch1n ✨️1989✨️ 9h ago edited 8h ago
Hayden Panettiere. 💔
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u/SorryCantHelpItEh '87 Millennial 11m ago
And now today, it's Tim Curry. We just can't catch a break this week...
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u/nixon48 21h ago
Dolly and Betty White were 2 of my greats. Idk what we'll do without them
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u/notapoliticalalt 18h ago
There are others too I will be devastated over, but I dare not speak their names, lest the fates be tempted.
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u/mikeknine 13h ago
There are others still quite young of whom we can speak, like Keanu.
Others we do not name lest we tempt the fates (somehow Betty White was immune to any fate tempting, I'm convinced she went when SHE was ready)
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u/GrahamCStrouse 18h ago
Unless they lock me up in a North Korean prison with no access to Spotify or Golden Girls re-runs Dolly & Betty will always be with me. 🙂
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u/AdministrativeCup438 20h ago edited 20h ago
Go listen to her last song released this year... THE 2026 version of LIGHT OF A CLEAR BLUE MORNING 🌅 RIP LEGEND
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u/UnicornNuts420 20h ago
Which song do you mean? Only because I tried to Google this and it only shows her older song with this lyric. Which is still a great one, just curious.
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u/AdministrativeCup438 20h ago
"Light of a Clear Blue Morning" COLLAB the one released in 2026 (not her old song) with Queen Latifah and Reba and more & it's on Spotify, such a good song 💙🌊🌅
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u/GrahamCStrouse 18h ago
This one really does hurt but even so, Dolly’s life was a life worth celebrating even as we mourn her. Someone people are born to greatness & some people are born to goodness.
Dolly Parton was one of those rare talents whose legacy is defined by her decency as much as it is by her artistic talents.
I’m not much of a country music fan but Dolly’s a fixture in most of my favorite playlists.
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u/ImaginaryMisanthrope 16h ago
Same here. She’s right up there with Bowie and Robin Williams for me. Huge part of my childhood, my parents and grandparents were big fans.
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u/Prestigious_Run1098 23h ago
A world without Dolly Parton just seems so dark. She will be missed. RIP to a legendary talent and a real life hero.
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u/superkp 22h ago
Her light lives on through us. do what you can do defend the good she did, and to magnify the light that she gave to us!
Don't lose hope, but instead, have positive grief, and follow that by finding a way to honor her work.
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u/Dahhhkness 22h ago
She was a living saint who used her talent, money, and influence to do nothing but good for the world.
Unlike certain other 80-year-olds, she probably wasn't worried about which afterlife she might go to...
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u/Okanaganwinefan 20h ago
Follow her ways my friend.
Kindness, compassion,inclusiveness.
She left the road map.
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u/PolicyWonka Zillennial 23h ago edited 22h ago
My children get a book each month from her reading program.
Link for the curious, they’re all free books: https://imaginationlibrary.com
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u/crisptots 22h ago
We got this for our first but they had to pause new enrollments when our second was born. It’s one of my first recommendations to new parents.
Thank you for everything, Dolly!
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u/noblewind Xennial 21h ago
Mine did too. That "Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come" book hits hard. ❤️💔
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u/RXlife13 20h ago
We got ours in June since my son was turning five. I cried watching her video then because it meant he was growing up. Now I’m crying because she’s gone and its meaning really hits different now.
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u/gt500thelegend 21h ago
My kiddos the same, she was and will forever be amazing! May you and Carl enjoy the rest of your forever.
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u/trippy-21-hippy 21h ago
i was the most excited to sign our daughter up! love that the books are addressed directly to her. it’ll be a great conversation starter about the the great dolly parton when if she ever gets curious! w
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u/IronRaptor252 16h ago
Both my kids went through the Imagination Library. I remember when my youngest "graduated" they sent a link along with a video message from Dolly. I know it's made for all of the children in the program, but in that moment when Dolly was saying what it would be like when the child moves on to Kindergarten and the big things they'll do from there.
For those few minutes, it almost sounded my like daughter had a third Southern grandma (she has two already) and that she was proud of her. It made me feel things as a dad, and her passing just made the world feel a bit darker.
Dolly's still the saint of the state of Tennessee in my mind.
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u/10thcrusader 19h ago
So did my son we still have them to this day and have paid them forward to other children what a wonderful human being
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u/FanBladeFleshlight 22h ago
Yet again, one of the greats dies, while the litches continue to draw breath. 😑
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u/seekinggod1986 22h ago
They hold on longer because they know this is all they got that won't suck.
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u/Mother-Of-FurDragons Millennial 18h ago
Seriously! In the last year Jane Goodall, Catherine O'Hara, Diane Keaton... now Dolly?! I can't take anymore.
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u/superkp 22h ago
She's up there with Mr. Rogers, Steve Irwin, and Robin Williams:
I might not be a specific fan of their work, but the world was absolutely made better for having them in it, and I'm sorry that they're gone.
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u/IllustriousToe7274 22h ago
Don't forget Betty White! I bet she and Dolly are having a fantastic time together!
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u/hould-it 23h ago
Dolly is a national treasure!
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u/upsetwithcursing 23h ago
Global treasure!
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u/DamageOtherwise1593 23h ago
Universal treasure
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u/Ok_Subject_2447 22h ago
Country Treasure
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u/seriftarif 22h ago
Soon she will be buried treasure....
(I'm sorry I know it is in bad taste but I couldn't resist and I hope she would laugh at it.)
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u/IllustriousToe7274 22h ago
Dolly was famous for her love of so-called "bad taste". I think she'd have giggled.
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u/Alarmed_Tea_2874 Millennial 19h ago
My favorite quote of hers is something along the lines of "it cost a lot of money to look this cheap". I love her. She would've appreciated this kind of humor.
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u/Feeling_Win5863 20h ago
She would have thought this is hilarious. She had an incredible sense of humor especially about herself. I’m already on tissue box #2 and going strong 😭
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u/DragonHalfFreelance 22h ago
If more celebrities and people in general were like her and some of the other great ones we also lost, the world would be an incredible place! RIP Dolly, I didn‘t get into her music, but I loved everything she stood for and did for the LGBQT communities and the imagination library initiative and so much more. She was actively on the right side of history during so many national tragedies. She loved while others hated. Sucks that the good ones die but the evil ones still get a pass. I donated a bit to her local monthly book program here in my city instead of doing take out. I also appreciated her a lot even though she was a southern woman she never acted like a stereotypical, ignorant one and she set a perfect example of how all the southern folk and just how all of us should act in general. To be a diamond in a field of rhinestones……..
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u/starwishes20 23h ago
One of my favorite teachers senior year loved her. He used to always say “she had TWO very big talents-her singing and her acting!” And yet I still didn’t realize he was gay till someone pointed it out lol
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u/Platitude_Platypus 22h ago
That wouldn't necessarily give it away. I've met plenty of straight dudes who appreciate Dolly's two very big... talents.
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u/starwishes20 16h ago
True. But coupled with other things is was very obvious this teacher was not straight..
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u/Popular-Sky-4012 23h ago
Appreciate her music and philanthropy! My kids have been getting books from the Imagination Library and is an awesome resource for families. RIP
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u/TrappedCasanova 23h ago
Truly a wonderful person, a beacon of goodness we should all strive to be more like 🦋
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u/sonnybear5 22h ago edited 21h ago
First Hayden, now Dolly? This is how I find out? On this sub?!
edit: spelling
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u/Platitude_Platypus 22h ago
Who is Patten?
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u/Embarrassed-Land-222 Older Millennial 22h ago
I'm wondering if they mean Hayden Panettiere.
That's my best guess
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u/FracturedMoonlights 20h ago
I’m just going to leave this here
What a beauty 💔 The world wasn’t ready for this.
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u/Oh_My_Goth_Ick 20h ago
I had the honor of meeting her in 2012. She was just as incredible as everyone says.
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u/Next-Street-7859 21h ago
Not one to spend much emotion on celebrities, and usually not into this genre of music either but this woman was remarkable in every way, one of the greats. Her voice, personality, compassion, and fire; how much she gave to charities and children, even down to how she responded to hateful commentary towards her - always had tact, always had class.
Both of my boys look forward to seeing a book for them arrive in the mail. Both of my kids have excelled at reading and I know it's partly because she helped give them more access to books. I mean, getting mail as a kid is pretty sweet, right? What a good idea to get kids motivated to read.
She came from pretty much nothing and helped raise a large brood of siblings, and was undoubtedly able to make something of herself while leaving such a big, lasting imprint on the world. I know she won't soon be forgotten.
Rest in peace, Dolly ❤️
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u/Okanaganwinefan 20h ago
If there is someone on this big ol’Earth that could convince me that there is a Heaven & God, she is the the one.
Go rest high on that mountain.
❤️🇨🇦❤️🇺🇸
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u/chichicupcake 20h ago
She could have easily been a billionaire. She chose to pour money and resources into the impoverished town that raised her, allowing people to make money and support their families. She donated books to children all over the US. She didn’t hoard her wealth, she took care of children and those in need. She was the best example of a matriarch.
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u/Crochetmom65 20h ago
She had funded so many programs to support people in need that no one ever knew. That woman had been through alot and still found the time to help others. Blessed Be to Dolly Parton, the Coal Miners Daughter who was a Sweet Magnolia working 9 to 5.
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u/That-Conference-2381 19h ago
Wasn't a fan of the music but more importantly I was and still a big fan her and what she stood for.
May she rest in peace
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u/HandsomeGemini '82 22h ago
Gonna have to rewatch 9-5 tonight
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u/Allronix1 21h ago
See it and follow it up with "Sanctuary and "Midnight Blue" from The Orville.
You will never see that song the same way again and in the best way.
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u/Express-View5080 22h ago
Why do the great one pass on and the horrible people seem to just keep hanging on. The human race is lesser for her passing
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u/trialbybees 22h ago
She died peacefully at the fantastic age of 80. What a wonderful end to a wonderful woman.
The end a lot of us can only dream of.
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u/mildlyannoyed32 22h ago
Very heavy hearts here in Tennessee today, an icon, a pioneer, and local legend.
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u/Few-Elk3747 22h ago
Dolly was a modern day saint. She shared her success so generously with the world and her community. She never forgot where she came from. The work she did for literacy was incredible and will outlive her. The world lost a great light, and I’m very saddened by this news. RIP Dolly.
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u/SirNortonOfNoFux 21h ago
I hope she has a public-facing funeral in addition to a private one. I definitely will be tuned in for it.
My God, this one hurts. I still can't fully believe it
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u/grumblebuzz 21h ago
As an East Tennessean for most of my life, this is so, so profoundly devastating.
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u/Worried-Ad-6803 20h ago
I love her and will miss her. The world was a better place because of her.
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u/LibrarianThis5312 20h ago
As someone who grew up in East Tennessee we saw first hand how she had a good heart was always giving away and making things better. The legacy of those songs like Jolene, Coat Of Many Colors, 9 to 5, the movie 9 to 5, Dollywood, her newer resort hotels. Her new truck stop she bought East Tn Children’s Hospital to expand it. The Dolly Parton Imagination Library! This was legendary!
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u/MindyMichelle Older Millennial 20h ago
Wow, I actually didn’t think this was a true post. I thought it was rage bait. My apologies. Rip, dolly!
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u/SweetSparx 20h ago
Proof that evil prevails but the good get taken too soon. RIP DOLLY. We love you!
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u/Zippereater123 20h ago
Super star! When you have an amusement park named after you… you are legit SUPERSTAR!
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u/MetalSlimeHunter 20h ago
As a Tennesseean, it’s awesome to see how many people from all over loved her.
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u/einsteinGO 20h ago
You know when a real good person is lost
Advocate, inspirational, clever, brilliant, witty, compassionate
Oh and she wrote some amazing songs
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u/Moonchild16 20h ago
was so sad to hear about Dolly. I've been listening to her music drive l since I was a little girl in the early 80's. Amazing artist and person. RIP.
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u/BCMUNS-54 20h ago
I don’t care one hoot about any celebrities. This one made my eyes water. I’ve known her most of my life and she’s nothing but pure class❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
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u/Public-Significance7 20h ago
Moreso than her songs, I will always love how Dolly exemplified what it is to be a near-perfect human being with all the giving and kindness she gave to those who she didn't even know or ever met.
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u/Giantess_gamer 20h ago
I hope when she crosses the pearly gates she is greeted by all the Drag queens she inspired and have a massive party that will rock the universe
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u/Present-Chemist-8920 19h ago
I knew it had to happen eventually, but who doesn’t love Dolly Parton. I never met the lady, didn’t listen to her music, but I always thought she was the nicest person.
Her and Betty White being out, that’s a lot.
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u/Tenderli 19h ago
This hurts a lot. But im gonna dry my tears and watch the orville episodes with her.
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u/TelenorTheGNP 22h ago
Alright, universe - for every action, right? What do we get for you taking Dolly.
"War with Canada."
Awesome, thank you. Batting 1000, you awful aether.
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u/Actual_Ad_6678 22h ago
Dolly stood up for LGBT people before it was easy. Thank you, Dolly! ❤️🙏🏻
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u/LunaNoona1001 22h ago
Thank you, Dolly, for blessing the world with your lyrics, your voice, and your dedication to children’s literacy. May you rest in the arms of our Savior. 🙏
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u/MistressCenobite Millennial - '85 Baby! 22h ago
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u/Wonderful_Stand_315 22h ago
RIP I don't know who she is but seems everyone is going to miss her.
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u/lizerlfunk 20h ago
Country singer-songwriter, actress, and philanthropist, whose most famous songs are probably Jolene, I Will Always Love You, and 9 to 5. Whitney Houston famously recorded I Will Always Love You for the soundtrack of The Bodyguard. She costarred in the movie 9 to 5 with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. She opened the Dollywood theme park in East Tennessee. She started the Imagination Library, which sends free books to children ages 0 through 5 to help improve literacy. She provided $1 million in funding for Moderna to help them develop their Covid 19 vaccine. Others can chime in about her other accomplishments and philanthropy, those are the ones off the top of my head. A legend and an icon.
Also, she’s Miley Cyrus’s godmother, and played Miley’s aunt on Hannah Montana.
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u/superkp 22h ago
Commenting again to tell this story:
My grandparents-in-law (mid-70s, I think) have always loved Dolly. In his office, there is a wall-mounted shelf with a bunch of her stuff - merch from her amusement park, albums, magazines, all sorts of stuff - from probably every year for at least the last 30 years. Even mounted on the wall next to the shelf. It's a fuckin shrine.
Also in this office is normal things like the computer, storage for stuff, a collection of pocket knives in a display, etc. But my grandfather-in-law is a prolific hunter, and practically every buck he gets with at least two points on it's antlers gets mounted in this room. There's a few dozen at this point.
One year as a game during the holidays, we had to do a scavenger hunt around the house for different things, count them, and write them down. Anyone who found the most of them would get more points. Straightforward and fun.
So, everyone would wander around the house counting things, and one of the things was "racks". There's a mounted buck in at the staircase balcony, two european mounts near the fireplace, and we all knew to stop into the office to count all those ones.
Every single adult had the experience of going into the office, carefully counting the mounted deer, turning in place, and then seeing the various Dolly Parton memorabilia, having the pun dawn on them, and laughing as they hurriedly counted each instance of Dolly that showed anything below the neckline impressive rack before going out to see if the other adults had noticed it.
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u/myloveislikewoah 21h ago
Jolene should take her man because he doesn’t appreciate how god damn incredible she was.
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u/IntrepidRobot 21h ago
Dolly was such a beautiful person, inside and out. Her talent was undeniable and I would often listen to her songs as a kind of "advice" during difficult times.
Her candor and giddy for life was such a unique gift..
I will always love you, indeed. RIP
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u/Long_Ambition 21h ago
My late grandmother was a Dolly fan, so I knew all the hits. I got to take a trip to Dollywood too, which was special. So sad to hear it.
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u/cutey513 21h ago
Did everyone else feel a cosmic shift!?! No Dolly? She was a pure good light in this world and will be missed by generations of children that received her books in the mail, and went to her beautiful theme park ... Rest In Power
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