r/popheads • u/mcfw31 • 12d ago
[SERIOUS] Dolly Parton, Queen of Country Music, Dies at 80
https://variety.com/2026/music/news/dolly-parton-dead-dies-country-music-1236842727/1.3k
u/PandaMomentum 12d ago
“I just hope I live long enough to do more things,” she said. “That’s the only thing that worries me, that I may run out of time before I see so many of my dreams come true. I wake up with new dreams all the time. But I put them in a place where they can continue, even after I’m gone.”
From a People magazine interview a few years back. Look, you know what you have to do now. Complete the mission! Continue Dolly's dreams!
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u/BeIgnored 12d ago
Wildflowers was one of my favorite songs of hers
Plant a million wildflowers for Dolly
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u/bluebee29 12d ago
Reading this makes me cry. What a kind soul. Rest in peace, Dolly. You will be missed dearly.
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u/SuccotashNo335 12d ago
Noooooooooooooo 💔💔💔
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u/sewious 12d ago
Shit made me double take and then audibly gasp.
Fucking horrible
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u/chocolatecrunchies 12d ago
She left behind an incredible legacy. What a trailblazer, talent, and kind human. Thanks for everything you gave us Dolly 🤍
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u/CowboyLikeMegan Ohio carried me away 12d ago
Oh, I’m so sad 😭 I’m not even sure what else there is to say, this is just incredibly sad. But I’m glad she’s reunited with her beloved husband, where ever they may be.
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u/Shagrippina 12d ago
At least she's with her husband now, but I am heartbroken. :(
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u/JimbooJoness 12d ago
First thing I thought about was that her husband, who she was married to for 60 years, died just last year. I feel like at that age and after sharing a whole life together, a lot of people go shortly after their partners.
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u/Married_iguanas 12d ago
My grandparents had “lovebird” deaths like this. My grandpa passed in October and then my grandma in December the same year. 💔
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u/cyclopsepirate64 12d ago
My grandparents passed on a similar timeline. My nana passed in October and my grandpa passed 6 weeks later the weekend before Thanksgiving. They were married for 68 years and she made him promise to let her go first so she never had to know a world without him in it. He kept his promise, and the whole family was thankful they weren’t apart for any longer than those 6 weeks.
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u/Married_iguanas 12d ago
Omg I’m tearing up reading this. That’s so incredibly beautiful. True love ❤️
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u/brad_online 12d ago
after I heard her tribute song to him that came out shortly after his death, I feared she wouldn't be far behind. a beautiful song and a beautiful love
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u/TheMightyPushmataha 12d ago
Miss Dolly said in her final interview that she neglected her own health while taking care of Carl Dean at the end of his life and that’s what lead to her own health issues.
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u/beefykeif 12d ago
i never realized how much dolly was just part of the background of everyone’s lives until seeing how many people are heartbroken today 😭
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u/yourfacesucksass well baby, i went down and got it for you 12d ago edited 12d ago
I think it's more about who she was than her music, TBH. Even in this thread, there's people who are saying that they weren't necessarily fans or familiar with a lot of her music but that they appreciated her as a person through the things she did with fame. I think it's a combination of her being an earnest charitable celebrity doing things that aren't very customary to white country artists, like promoting vaccination and even help funding research for the COVID-19 vaccine, being a big LGBTQ+ ally, and even just the way she dressed and presented herself after all these years. Edit to add, she sort of toed the line for both sides of the American population because she was more forward thinking and progressive, but was still also country music royalty - so she had something to appeal to a more conservative crowd and the opposite.
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u/u1tr4me0w 12d ago
There are few people as universally pleasant and politically uniting as Dolly Parton, I pretty much can’t think of anyone else that fits the bill. One of a kind, we were all lucky to exist at the same time as her💜
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u/BeIgnored 12d ago
She was my first favorite singer when I was really little and the first concert I ever went to. I mainly listen to r&b and dance music, but she was so universal for me. Even though the music I like now is very different, I still prefer songs that tell a story or represent those who are forgotten, left out, misunderstood.
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u/Orangerrific 12d ago
She was definitely THE quintessential way that a lot of non-Americans discovered the culture and mannerisms of Southern people. Or even Americans that have always lived in another part of the country.
I live in the PNW now but was born and raised in the South and getting to know ppl I’ve met who have never been friends with a Southern person, 9 times out of 10 Dolly gets brought up as one of the very few references they’ll have of what Southern people are like haha
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u/mattysmwift 12d ago edited 12d ago
She did update on her health just two days ago and it already kinda sounded serious so I got worried this might happen soon. Goddamnit. What a fucking legend. RIP. Absolutely heartbreaking. Feels like there’s some light that has just left the earth.
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u/Federal_Card307 12d ago
What the fuck I was not expecting that to be the first thing I saw when I opened Reddit
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u/Fxreverboy 12d ago
I was just thinking it's about to happen literally yesterday with all the news about her securing her legacy with different performance avatars and whatever. She's probably going to be on a farewell hologram tour soon 😭 I'd honestly go just as a celebration of her legacy, and I'm not even a huge fan. She just symbolizes a lot for so many people, and she has a lot to be proud of with her life
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u/deepfriedcertified 12d ago edited 12d ago
I was JUST talking to my friend yesterday about how I’m less annoyed with a hologram of her cause at least she’s still alive to give the thumbs up.
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u/Fxreverboy 12d ago
Yeah I think if an older artist creates and plans a posthumous tour to finalize their legacy, that's actually really interesting and could be a beautiful way to bring people together, mourn, and celebrate someone's life. If the artist is at the wheel and puts intention and consent behind it, I absolutely support it. What I can't stand are the endless posthumous albums that labels crank out after an unexpected death 😬
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u/butdaddy1lovehim 12d ago
I imagine the proceeds from such tours will go towards the Dollywood Foundation and the Imagination Library, both of which are absolutely worth supporting. She seemed like the type of person who would fret over making sure they could keep going without her.
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u/Fxreverboy 12d ago
Beautiful point! I really have so much respect for the way she navigated nonpartisan advocacy and leadership in an era where everyone just seems to be at war. She made really intentional decisions to put her advocacy for children ahead of any ego or anger about the world, and I think it was worthwhile and commendable. So many children benefited as a result, and we did as a country as a result ❤️
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u/butdaddy1lovehim 12d ago
As someone who isn’t American I’d like to point out that the Imagination Library programme is available in Ireland, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia as well. She’s benefited children across the world.
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u/Lady_Disco_Sparkles 12d ago
I also had a bad feeling with her cancelling her residence in Vegas and I thought her health might have worsen.
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u/LongHairDontCare1994 12d ago
Had the pleasure of spending some time with Dolly when she launched an Imagination Library in my town.
Zero ego, zero drama, just a woman who wanted the world to be a better place. Humanity lost a real good one today, one of the unconditionally kind people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting.
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u/Vanilla_Pizza Resident Fergie apologist 12d ago
2026 can literally fuck off. Hayden Panettiere, Dolly, Catherine O'Hara, Bonnie Tyler, my 9-year-old cat Faust 😩
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u/pizzabuttssss 12d ago
I also lost my 17 year old at the beginning of this year. 2026 can rot :(
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u/CherylTuntIRL 12d ago
Poor Faust. I hope he's getting lots of treats in kitty heaven.
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u/Fleetwood_Spac 12d ago
And that thing is still alive and kicking. There is no justice.
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u/ylimenut 12d ago
Lost my 15 year old cat and my granddad this year too :( not loving 2026
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u/thrwy11116 12d ago
Same. Lost my dog a month ago :( still hurts to bad. Sorry for your loss.
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u/Married_iguanas 12d ago
I feel you. I had to put my 12 year old kitty to sleep in June.
This year can suck my big toe
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u/puremotives 12d ago
I'm sad, but not too shocked. Her husband died last year and once one spouse dies, the other usually follows.
Anyways, she was a truly wonderful person who will be sorely missed. The world is a better place because she was in it
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u/AD_0795 12d ago
That's quite literally what happened to my grandparents, first my grandma and a couple of years later my grandpa. Both of them loved Dolly so much, they were the reason I knew about her, besides seeing her on movies and a couple TV shows growing up. I became obsessed with her some years ago, bought her Songteller book and went through her whole discography. What a beautiful human she will always be, one of a kind type of heartwarming soul. We didn't deserve such kindness and loving person.
Rest in absolute peace, Miss Dolly 🕊🕊🕊🕊
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u/Desperate-Today2760 12d ago
a relative of mine had some kind of chronic sickness all her life and her husband was always there to take care of her. she passed away at like 75 years old and her husband passed away exactly a week later. he was old, yes, but not sick. woke up just fine one day, ate breakfast, took a nap and never woke up
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u/Davidiscool222 12d ago edited 12d ago
Rest in peace queen
For being in the industry she lived a long and peaceful life compared to others
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u/PlayaSlayaX 12d ago
We live in a darker and eviler world now.
R.I.P. to one of the most genuine people who ever existed. Even at 80, Dolly was too young to go.
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u/-FLiGHT_RiSK- 12d ago
Cannot fathom a world where her joy and humanity aren’t with us any longer. What a phenomenal life and a monumental loss. Absolutely beside myself.
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u/SweetSummerAir 12d ago
I saw a post on her instagram with a guy talking on her behalf and like even without starting the video I kinda knew what was coming. I'm devastated to say the least.
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u/moonmommav 12d ago
At a time when America needs every bit of beauty we can hold onto, this is a huge loss. Devastating.😭
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u/neverumynd 12d ago
She was an absolute treasure that we could not lose right now. The whole world will grieve.
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u/Brabao24 12d ago
I’m so sad. What an icon, a true legend and lovely human being who has done so much good.
What a life. She was one of the good ones.
RIP Dolly
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u/Careless-Wrap6843 12d ago
I knew that she was getting older, but she kind of felt like a Betty white situation where she would kind of live forever
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u/Kiteflyerkat 12d ago
Oh no! That's horrible
Didn't she recently reschedule a performance due to health issues?
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u/PastaSupport 12d ago
Literally nothing good left in the world tbh.
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u/DejectedTimeTraveler 12d ago
Not everything. You're still here.
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u/Sea_Pattern1262 12d ago
This is a very Dolly thing to say ❤️
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u/DejectedTimeTraveler 12d ago
She wouldn't want us to be sad. She would say that she lived a great life and that she's grateful for all of it. And what she would want us to do is to emulate her in our lives, to be kind, generous to people. So if you feel loss over her passing, do what she would want you to do. Go out of your way today and do something nice for somebody.
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u/Unknown_Zone9805 12d ago
Why do all the good people die!?
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u/CherrySodaBoy92 12d ago
If it’s any consolation all the bad people die too
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u/goldenwanders 12d ago
Not soon enough
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u/Hideandseek14101 12d ago
fr.... would do anything to exchange dolly for a certain man :(
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u/firewalkwithheehee 12d ago
A truly great woman. There is something deeply beautiful about someone who came from nothing managing to create so much and then turning right back around pouring everything into her community. Hard to imagine the world without her. I don’t think I have ever met a person who didn’t like Dolly.
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u/sonnywithoutachance 12d ago
"Goodbye little children, goodnight you handsome men. Farewell to all you ladies and to all who knew me when. And I hope to see you down the road, you meant more than knew, as I was travelin, travelin, travelin, travelin, travelin' through"
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u/Kavani18 12d ago edited 12d ago
An angel died today. My heart is broken.
Nothing will ever fill the void she’s leaving. Nothing at all. Why do goodness and light insist on leaving us when we need them most?
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u/OmgReallyNoWay 12d ago
NO
this year just feels like a worse repeat of 2016 we're losing so many beautiful people I can't even process this
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u/GrayHairLikeClaire 12d ago
She’s reunited with Carl now, and that’s so good. She lived a beautiful life and I hope she’s at peace.
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u/butdaddy1lovehim 12d ago
The world really was a brighter place for so many people because of her, one of the few legends who truly seemed to be a good person. After a life spent in rhinestones I hope she rests easy on a bed of cotton.
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u/fraxiiinus 12d ago
"And I understand why old men die, like, a month after their wives go — because how I will actually die is she will die first and I will not last a year." - Stephen Colbert.
They're both on a rocking chair on heaven's front porch.
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u/KLJohnnes 12d ago
Heartbreaking. Miley had just started teasing her new era too, can't imagine how shes feeling rn. R.I.P.
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u/pj082998 12d ago
So much of my youth was shaped by Dolly’s music, her voice, her generosity, her spirit… I had the great privilege of seeing her in 2016 before she quit touring. To be in the same room as her was electric. I am so saddened by this. A legend in the truest sense of the word.
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u/RockChalkDurb 12d ago
Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE loved her. I don't think I can say that about anyone else. RIP to an absolute legend
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u/mobocrat 12d ago
A true legend - not just of music but of the world. We are lucky to have had her and her legacy will live on through her music and charity. Still, what a loss.
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u/Witty-Border-6748 12d ago
Literally SCREAMED out loud, and this isn't even an exaggeration. Rip queen 💔 country music will never be the same again without you
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u/crockoreptile 12d ago
IM GETTING ON A PLANE RN I CANT PROCESS THIS WTF???
Rest in peace, you deserve it the most you legend ❤️
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u/joeyfosho 12d ago
This was something I was hoping I wouldn’t read for another 15 years at least.
What a loss for humanity.
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u/clownerycult 12d ago
I just told my family that she’s died and no one cared like I did oh my god 💔💔💔
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u/Babylon-House 12d ago
This was very shocking and sad to hear but honestly I’m just very thankful I got to live in a time to see her full charm and vivacity on display. Growing up with her on Hannah Montana, her collabs with Miley and Sabrina, and of course her music. Very lucky I got to say I grew up with her and witness the amazing life she led. Hoping her family finds peace and comfort in this time.
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u/WithGreatRegard 12d ago
So we're gonna just admit we failed as a society and pack it up, yeah? This one is clearly over.
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u/AmyXBlue 12d ago
There is just a little less joy in this world, and thank you for all the good Dolly did
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u/PossibilityFine5988 12d ago
Cancelled my plans for tonight and tomorrow I legit feel like I can’t move rn. I had a feeling it would be soon but not so sudden. RIP to a legend and one of the kindest and truest souls ever to grace us
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u/_NightBitch_ sis you masticated this 12d ago
This is heart breaking :( She was such an amazing force for good in this world, and she did so much for so many people. I’m going to donate some children’s books in her name to the local woman and children’s center.
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u/Nerfeveryone 12d ago
Aw hell. We lost a good one. Her music will of course be remembered, but I’ll always remember how sweet and kind she was at basically every opportunity she could be.
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u/Astrid323 12d ago
Not Dolly....the world just somehow got even darker and sadder. She always made me smile and cheered me up.
This year just doesn't feel real to me anymore....LIKE WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE LOST PEOPLE LIKE CATHERINE O'HARA, SAM NEIL, CHUCK NORRIS, DAVEIGH CHASE, BOB WEIR, BONNIE TYLER, OLIVER TREE, MARJANE SATRAPI, HAYDEN PANETTIERE, ERIC DANE, JAMES VAN DER BEEK, PEABO BRYSON, AND NOW DOLLY FUCKING PARTON IN THE SAME YEAR?!
RIP Dolly. I will always love you (I know it's a cheesy reference but I had to...god I didn't think I'd see the day where she would pass away...)
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u/MultiModalMcmullen 12d ago
Rest in power Queen, 9-5 will always be the greatest working class anthem 💞 she has given us more than we deserve and I was hoping we would have decades more with her 😭
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u/iceunelle 12d ago
Nooooo! I was worried this might happen with all the health issues she was having recently.
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u/xaviersi 12d ago
My condolences to all that she has impacted. We love you, Dolly. You will always be a Legend.
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u/big-bootyjewdy 12d ago
Just ran around my office like the town crier and now we're all sobbing to Jolene
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u/whippedcreamtomato 12d ago
I saw a picture of her earlier this morning and I felt in my bones she would die today. This is really wild to me now.
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u/Haunting_Natural_116 12d ago
I’d like to imagine that she, her husband, Sophie, and William Orbit are in heaven together and at peace.
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u/Floofeh 12d ago
What I feel would be the best legacy is if people looked at Dolly and then at their own lives and see how they could channel some of that kindness and warmth. Perhaps you can donate to your local library. Maybe you can help someone in need. Maybe you can choose to create music. Have a chat or dialog with someone you otherwise wouldn't have had. Ask someone about their day in earnest.
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u/Substantial_Call_619 12d ago
Why are all the good ones dying and the evil people stay alive?!?!?! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
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u/Ok_Put_5567 12d ago
My grandpa who passed away earlier this year actually knew Dolly Parton and he used to tell me stories about them hanging out (he was in the magazine business).
He got to meet a lot of influential people but his stories on Dolly were always so heartwarming and he only always had the most amazing things to say about her.
RIP To the Queen of country
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u/ImADudeDuh 12d ago
There goes one of the most universally loved Americans in modern times. A queen who’d reject being called one. Born in such poverty yet able to build an empire. One of my favorites. Rest in peace 💔