Powerful.
The queen of country music, Dolly Parton, passed away on Tuesday morning at 80 years old in Nashville, Tennessee. The “Jolene” singer had been dealing with undisclosed health issues for the last year or so, and she previously shared that she was having issues with severe kidney stones. Aside from that, she understandably didn’t share more, though clearly there were more serious issues going on.
Dolly’s rep confirmed to People that her death sadly followed a “brief battle with cancer,” though the specific kind was not revealed. She had been open about her health struggles over the last several months, though it sounds like the cancer was a more recent development.
Of course, it’s hard to understate the impact that Dolly had on the landscape of country music. With 25 #1 hits, 27 gold/platinum certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), 11 #1 albums, 10 Grammy Awards, multiple best-selling books, her own theme park at Dollywood, a lifetime of impactful work through her philanthropy and more, there’s hardly anything that the “9 to 5” singer didn’t accomplish throughout her incredible life.
Unsurprisingly, the country music world has been mourning her death. Online, legends such as George Strait, Reba and Blake Shelton, as well as Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw and Ella Langley (among plenty of others) took to social media to pen tributes, share memories and send condolences to the Parton family.
Since her passing, there have been plenty of memories shared, stories swapped and facts posted online about the late legend. Additionally, we’ve seen a plethora of live performances begin to pop up honoring Dolly across the music industry, with Chris Stapleton delivering a chill-inducing cover of “I Will Always Love You,” Turnpike Troubadours’ Evan Felker performing “The Last Thing On My Mind” alongside Charley Crockett, Ernest dedicating a performance of “I’ll Fly Away” at Red Rocks to her, Jack White covering “Jolene” and the likes of Katy Perry and Pitbull taking time to remember her at their shows.
Undoubtedly, one of the artists most affected by Dolly’s passing was none other than Brad Paisley, who collaborated with the 10x Grammy winner back in 2005 for their single, “When I Get Where I’m Going,” which would become Parton’s 25th and final #1 hit of her storied career. Additionally, it would net the pair two ACM Awards for Video and Vocal Event of the Year as well as a CMA Award for Vocal Event of the Year.
Upon her passing, Paisley would take to Instagram to pen a tribute to Dolly, calling getting to know her “life changing” not just for him but for everyone she ever met.
“I never imagined this day would come. Getting to know Dolly was life changing, but not just for me. For everyone. She seemed immortal.
And in the spirit of what we sang together on this song, I believe she is. It won’t be the same down here without you Dolly. But what a legacy of goodness and art you leave for all of us.
Goodbye hero. We will always love you.”
Last night, Paisley returned to the stage for the first time since Dolly’s passing at Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater in Bridgeport, Connecticut. After performing hits such as “She’s Everything,” “I’m Still a Guy” and “Online,” the West Virginia native delivered a chill-inducing rendition of “When I Get Where I’m Going.” Clearly fighting back tears throughout the entire performance, Paisley was surrounded by a montage of black and white photos of the late legend, with the final photo reading “We love you Dolly.”
After performing the #1 hit, Paisley would fight back tears once more and recall sending the song to her after receiving the track from co-writers, Rivers Rutherford and George Teren. Teary-eyed, he’d admit that he never thought the song would ever be about her passing but called it “everything she believed in.”
“I sent it to Dolly. I said, ‘A couple of people in my life I’ve lost. I didn’t know if this would relate to you.’ And she immediately said, ‘Yes, let me sing on that.’ And [she] did… I never thought it would be about her, but it is. It’s everything she believed, and we will always love you for.”
With so many tributes pouring out over the past few days, Brad’s performance here might have been the best we’ve seen so far. I’d be lying if I said my eyes didn’t well up a bit while watching this one.
Rest in peace, Dolly.