Music Row Mourns The Loss Of Dolly Parton

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Dolly Parton. Photo: Courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Shock and grief have rocked the Nashville music community this afternoon (Aug. 25) with the loss of global icon Dolly Parton.

One of the most universally beloved and most widely respected artists of all time, she amassed 44 top-10 country albums, more than any other artist, and garnered 11 Grammy Awards, 10 CMA Awards, 40 BMI Songwriter honors, eight BMI Million-Air certificates, a National Medal of Arts and multiple hall of fame inductions. Beyond her musical talents, Parton was known for her philanthropy, which extended to Appalachian charities, medical clinics and educational programs, among other initiatives.

Read her full obituary here.

Industry members, songwriters and artists across Music Row took to social media to share remembrances of Parton. Below are some of those messages.

Well, I just got the news that my buddy Dolly passed onto the higher and greater side. Dolly, thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth. Your love, your music and you gave so much with your huge huge heart. There will never ever be another you. We will remember and cherish every memory and every note you ever played and sang. Thank you, Lord, for Dolly. She’s gonna have a blast in heaven singing all her favorite songs with all her family and friends who have gone on before her. I’ll never forget the first time I met you and I’ll never forget our last conversation. I hold it with love in my heart. I will always love you, Reba

Dolly Parton’s legacy is not celebrity, but humanity. She was a champion of equality and literacy. She was a picture of dignity, even when dressed outrageously. Anyone who seeks to be more like Dolly is on the right track, but they’ll never get to the finish line. She came from poverty to become the most important native of Tennessee. She shared her fortunes for the good of all of us, and shared her soul in every note she sang. – Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

At the end of the day, few artists define Country Music better than the one-word, Dolly. Over her decades-long career, I worked with her on a number of programs. She was always the most professional in every setting, often walking off the bus in heels and hair and makeup ready to go, before expected and before the cast and crew. However, along with the music, our biggest loss today is her work as a philanthropist and the genuine difference she has made in people’s lives throughout the world. There will only ever be one Dolly. - Sarah Trahern, Country Music Association CEO

“You’ve had such a huge impact on so many people all over the world, [Dolly Parton]. We will all miss you. May God bless the Parton family” – George Strait

The Nashville songwriting family joins the world today in mourning the loss of our precious Dolly Parton. There is no greater ambassador for the art of songwriting, Music Row and the state of Tennessee than Dolly. No one is more admired, revered and respected. It cannot be overstated how difficult the obstacles were for a young woman in the 1950s and ’60s to carve a path in the music business, much less become a ‘one-word’ household name. She will forever be spoken of as a Mount Rushmore-level icon in our industry. On behalf of the Nashville Songwriters Association International, thank you, Dolly, for the songs, the class, the heart and the eternal impression you have left on country music. We miss you already. – Lee Thomas Miller NSAI President

The Academy is deeply saddened by the passing of Dolly Parton. She leaves behind a legacy that reaches far beyond the stage. Through her unmistakable voice, unforgettable songs, generosity and larger-than-life spirit, she touched generations and made the world a little brighter. A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry, Dolly was a 14-time ACM Award recipient and three-time host of the ACM Awards. She gave us some of country music’s most enduring songs and moments, and at this year’s ACM Honors, she was honored with the ACM Poet’s Award — a beautiful recognition of the songwriter whose words became a part of so many lives. As we look back on these ACM moments, we’re reminded of the incredible mark Dolly left on country music and on all those who grew up with her songs. Her music will live on, carrying her voice and her story forward for generations to come. – The Academy of Country Music

We are all crushed here at our house. One of the most beautiful sounds I’ve ever heard was when Dolly and I sang that last note of ‘I Will Always Love You’ the year we performed it on the CMA Awards. – Vince Gill

Two of the absolute highlights of my career at the Academy were collaborating with Dolly as she hosted the ACM Awards in 2022 and 2023, and having the profound privilege of honoring her with the ACM Poet’s Award just last week at the ACM Honors. On behalf of myself, our staff, and the Board of Directors, we are entirely devastated by this unfathomable loss to Country Music and the entire world. Quite simply, there will never be another Dolly Parton. While our hearts are heavy, her incomparable spirit lives on through her music, her boundless legacy, and the endless inspiration she leaves behind. We will always love Dolly. – Damon Whiteside, CEO Emeritus of the Academy of Country Music

There are icons and there are superstars… and then there’s Dolly Parton. A songwriter without equal, she set the standard for telling the human story through song, capturing life’s truths with honesty, warmth and grace. She wrote from a genuine heart that touched people from the hills of eastern Tennessee to every corner of the globe. Miss Dolly, we will always love you. – Rusty Gaston, Sony Music Publishing Nashville CEO

I’ve said often in my life, “What will the world be without Dolly?” From the time I was a little girl, I wanted to be just like her. At 15 years old, my family uprooted their lives so I could start chasing my dreams, working in the country show at Dollywood. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of not only working with Dolly, but getting to know her. She was exactly who we all hoped she would be — kind, funny, gracious, and one of a kind. Heaven got a whole lot sassier, funnier, and brighter today. I will do my part as a woman in country music to continue carrying the light she shined so brightly for all of us. I love you, Dolly. 🦋 – forever your little Dollywood girl – Carly Pearce

Lauryn Sink
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