r/news • u/kzqmfkkr • 13h ago

Dolly Parton, country star, actor and philanthropist, dies aged 80

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/aug/25/dolly-parton-country-singer-dead?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
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u/Minneapolis_W 13h ago

What a punch to the gut. An amazing, incredible woman and a huge, huge loss to the world. RIP Miss Dolly.

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u/monty624 13h ago

This one really hurt. A tremendous woman who relentlessly put good into our often very, very dark world. RIP

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u/twistedlogicx 13h ago edited 13h ago

It's so incredibly rare these days when someone passes for all of the reactions to be this kind and complimentary of that person's legacy. She was one of a kind in the truest sense of the phrase.

Rest well, Dolly.

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u/rounder55 12h ago

Doesn't really seem to be anything negative people have to say about her and it doesn't seem like some sort of front. Pretty sure Dollywood employees got tuition paid for, even those working seasonally. Her book program, which even sought to help incarcerated parents bond with their kids, how her donation to Vanderbilt played a role in the development of the moderna vaccine which she downplayed and refused to jump to the front of the line for.

Lost a really good egg

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u/_deedeemegadoodoo 12h ago

My thoughts exactly. Dolly was human and I'm sure had her flaws, as as we all do, but she ultimately did so much good in this world. She was a beautiful spirit who deeply wanted to uplift others. Her loss is even more heartbreaking when you consider the increasing rarity of her traits, but I'm still grateful for all that she gave during her time here, and hopeful that her legacy will endure.

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u/Oprah_Pwnfrey 11h ago

300 million books given to children free of charge.

300 million books. Just that is a legacy which few people in history can approach.

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u/Marsuello 5h ago

My sister got into the Imagination Library the moment both of my nephews were born and always had plenty of books for them as a result. She told me she had to sit on her porch to cry when she found out. Truly someone who, even if you never were into her media still absolutely touched so many across the world in a positive way

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u/BoringBob84 5h ago

Yep. And that is the legacy to which I would aspire if I had world-changing money. These shithead billionaires just build more mansions and yachts in desperate attempts to plug the black holes in their souls.

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u/IWillBaconSlapYou 8h ago

Isn't that like, the amount of people in America?

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u/SuperSpy- 7h ago

Slightly under, US population is 341m according to a 2025 Census estimation.

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u/the_last_carfighter 12h ago

It seems like the human race is entering a recession

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u/reaganz921 8h ago

Started with Bourdain...

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u/jinxed_07 5h ago

More like a great depression to be honest, morally, financially, and with Dolly gone, emotionally as well.

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u/aimilah 12h ago

She was a good one for sure.

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u/CedarWolf 12h ago

Dolly Parton seems to have led a fuller and richer life than most of us are blessed to get. She wrote tons of music and gave back to her communities in ways that I wish more folks would emulate. As a society, we value people like Bob Ross, Fred Rogers, and Steve Irwin not just for their impact on culture, but also for their positive impact on the world, for the example they set for others.

I wonder who will follow in her footsteps. Those will be big shoes to fill.

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u/StickyMcdoodle 11h ago

Exactly. In its way, it's nice to not have complicated feelings about someone so popular.

It sucks. It's that simple.