Countless country stars took to social media to mourn the loss of one of the greatest voices to ever grace the genre, Dolly Parton.
Dolly Parton Passed Away On August 25, 2026
Dolly Parton’s family issued a statement announcing her passing through a video message given by her nephew Bryan Seaver, who said, “I am representing the Parton and Owens family today announcing the passing of my aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean. Sister, sis, Aunt Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next.”
He revealed that his aunt asked him many years ago to be the one to announce her passing. The two were close, as he served as her head of security for two decades.
Seaver said that Dolly was surely “in the arms of Jesus” and her beloved husband of 59 years, Carl Dean, who passed away in 2025.
Country Artists Mourn The Loss Of Dolly Parton
Countless country artists consider Dolly a hero, so her passing has hit many of them very hard.
Reba McEntire, who has known Dolly for decades, took to social media to release a heartfelt statement:
“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.”
Blake Shelton included a photo of Dolly sitting in his Voice chair many years ago, while paying tribute to the legend, “I can say with absolute certainty that we are all feeling the same heart brokenness today. I only got to spend any real time with Dolly when Gwen and I got to work with her on The Voice. I want everyone to know that she was the EXA
Maren Morris shared a video of Dolly singing “Eagle When She Flies” with her, Brandi Carlile, Amanda Shires, and Natalie Hemby backstage at an awards show. Maren wrote, “There will never be another. @dollyparton was who we could all agree on. she was and is such a light.”
George Strait took to Instagram Stories to say, “You’ve had such a huge impact on so many people all over the world, @dollyparton. We will all miss you. May God bless the Parton family.”
Vince Gill, who had a long friendship with Parton, and sang “I Will Always Love You” with her at the CMA Awards in 1995.
We are all crushed here at our house,” he wrote alongside a clip of their performance together. “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.”
For some, formulating words might just be too much. Lainey Wilson mourned Dolly by simply sharing a photo of them hugging on her Instagram Story.
The popular country radio show, the Bobby Bones Show, wrote, “Our hearts are [broken.] We just learned the world lost Dolly Parton today. There aren’t enough words for what she gave the world, the songs, the generosity, the way she made everyone feel seen. She wasn’t just a country music icon, she was one of a kind, and she leaves the world brighter than she found it. Thank you for everything, Dolly. Forever a legend.”
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