Dolly Parton’s Death at Age 80 Sparks Outpouring of Emotion: ‘The World Feels a Lot Less Sparkly’
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel.
The legendary and fantastic Dolly Parton died Aug. 25, news that was shared by her family via her nephew, Bryan Seaver.
Seaver said in a video shared on social media, “Dolly also opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians, and dreamers from every walk of life and across every continent. By her example, we believed that anything was possible. She never saw a door that she couldn’t open, and the doors she opened made and changed history.”
Parton’s effervescent spirit and kindness of character was celebrated widely across social media platforms.
“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,” wrote Reba McEntire. “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.”
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“No!!!!!! I never met @dollyparton but my gosh, did I love her. I don’t think any of us had to know her to love her,” Sarah Jessica Parker wrote. “One of the greatest this country ever produced. Legend. For real. Forever. And always advocating for those she knew and understood needed a champion. What a loss. But aren’t we so lucky, so fortunate for the endless gifts she shared. With the world. Godspeed and RIP. You will be terribly missed.”
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Rosie O’Donnell shared on Instagram, “This earth angel has gone back to heaven where she came from – heartbroken 💔 #iwillalwaysloveyou.”
“One of one 💔. We must make more,” Pedro Pascal shared.
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“I’m devastated. Truly,” Keke Palmer wrote alongside a photo of herself and Parton.
America’s Voice writer Gabe Ortíz celebrated a donation Parton made to a pediatric hospital in Tennessee. He quoted The Telegraph Herald, which noted, “Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital did not share how much Parton donated as part of the naming announcement. But Matt Schaefer, its president and CEO, said her support would ensure ‘every child who walks through our doors receives the treatment they deserve.’”
“GOD BLESS DOLLY PARTON,” Ortíz added.
“The late, great Dolly Parton, Bette Midler (& me pretending to play the piano…),” wrote James Dreyfus on X. “What a lady… Goodnight Dolly. Thanks for everything…”
Sam Stein, Managing Editor of The Bulwark, wrote, “Dolly Parton’s free book gifting program was such a profound gift. No one asked for it. She just sent books to kids all over the US and elsewhere. My children loved receiving their ‘dolly books.’ An act of pure generosity that meant so much to so many families.”
“first time I’ve ever been stunned by the death of an 80 year old woman,” wrote New York Times Opinion contributor Jane Coaston.
Country singer Kacey Musgraves said, “The world feels a lot less sparkly all of a sudden.”
She later added, “So glad she’s with her Carl Dean. No one talk to me today.”
Collider Editor-in-Chief Steven Weintraub expressed frustration. “Dolly Parton has been taken from us yet Donald Trump still walks the Earth. We are in the worst timeline,” he wrote on X.
“The news of Dolly Parton’s passing is devastating. I had the extraordinary experience of working with her on The Orville, and it was a joy to discover that she really was exactly the person we all hoped she was,” Seth MacFarlane shared. “Her kindness, generosity, and authenticity were evident from moment one, and the benign yet assured command she maintained over her empire was obvious from the genuine love and trust you could see from everyone who worked for her. The world is a dimmer place today without her.”
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