A beautiful tribute.
Though it still doesn’t feel real almost 24 hours later, the queen of country music, Dolly Parton, passed away yesterday at 80 years old in Nashville, Tennessee. Announcing her tragic passing, her team shared the following statement about her death:
“A rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see, Dolly will forever stand as an inspiration not only through her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth, and kindness that made us all feel like family.
Dolly Parton’s legacy is one of love, compassion, and resilience. With a seven-decade career, she inspired multiple generations of artists and fans with her music and an unwavering commitment to making the world a better place. Her songs will continue to resonate with people of all ages, and her philanthropic work will have a lasting impact.”
Throughout the evening, more details surrounding her death began to surface, with TMZ reporting she was admitted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville on Friday morning “with kidney and autoimmune issues” and a rep confirming to People that her death sadly followed a “brief battle with cancer,” though the specific kind was not revealed.
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 — and the world at large — 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.
In Nashville, we’ve already seen plenty of tributes pop up Tuesday evening. Eric Church’s bar, Chief’s, added “We will always love you, Dolly” on its marquee sign, the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge was lit up in pink to honor the legend and fans laid flowers and candles outside of her Songteller Hotel as a memorial.
Last night, we also got one of our first major tributes in concert across the country at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado.
Opening up for Ian Munsick, Ernest, who has penned a plethora of Morgan Wallen #1s, including the likes of “You Proof,” “Wasted On You,” “Heartless,” “I’m The Problem,” his Post Malone collaboration, “I Had Some Help” and many more, delivered a beautiful tribute to the “Jolene” singer with a performance of the classic hymn, “I’ll Fly Away.”
Before the performance, he’d preface it by saying the classic hymn is not a Dolly song, but instead one she frequently covered throughout her career, telling the crowd to imagine they’re at the Opry:
@egecho85 Ernest singing for Dolly after her death today #dollyparton #redrocks #ernest #illflyaway #fyp @Ernest ♬ original sound – EG
After the show, Ernest took to Instagram to pen a tribute to the late legend. Calling the day at Red Rocks bittersweet, he’d reflect on Dolly’s big heart and the impact she had throughout her life, expressing that her loss took a “bit out of all of us.”
“Bitter sweet day at the legendary Red Rocks. 🖤 We lost the QUEEN yesterday and I believe it took a bit out of all of us, all over the world. Dolly Parton, the songwriter, artist, woman, philanthropist and the ICON. She lived a life that brought joy to many thru not only songs but laughter and a warm, giving heart…. She will be greatly missed…”
Headliner, Ian Munsick, also paid tribute to Dolly with a cover of “I Will Always Love You.”
@cyndiloushine A beautiful tribute to Dolly Pardon by Ian Munsick on the evening of her passing. #dollyparton #dolly #tribute #countrymusic #icon @Ian Munsick ♬ original sound – Cyndiloushine
A fitting tribute to the queen of country music.
