Elton John, Oprah Winfrey, Sabrina Carpenter and Paul McCartney lead tributes to Dolly Parton
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Figure caption:
Dolly Parton: The life of an iconic country singer
By
Sareen Habeshian
Reporting from
Los Angeles
Published
26 August 2026, 01:58 BST
Updated 1 hour ago
Sir Paul McCartney, Oprah Winfrey and Sir Elton John have led a wave of personal tributes to music icon Dolly Parton, honouring her impact across the globe.
The Beatles legend called Parton a "magnificent star", Oprah said she "brought the light" and the Rocket Man singer dubbed her a "giant of an artist" who was "irreplaceable".
Parton died on Tuesday at the age of 80, following health issues that caused the cancellation of her Las Vegas residency earlier this year.
Tributes have poured in from US presidents across the political spectrum and musicians across all genres, remembering her not just for her award-winning career, but her philanthropy and humble nature that transcended country music.
McCartney reflected on his history with Parton, which began when he met her in Nashville at the Grande Ole Opry right before starting her solo musical career.
"She was so bubbly and full of life, it is difficult to take in the news that she has passed," he said. "Her songwriting, her singing and her philanthropy were unrivaled in the world of country music and it is hard to imagine living in a world without Dolly."
John said he was "shocked and devastated" over the news.
"A giant of an artist – unique and irreplaceable, with the kindest heart," he declared.
Former talk-show host Winfrey wrote that one of her fondest memories with Parton was "having a hoot and a holler while wearing Bob Mackie gowns on her show Dolly".
"This girl from the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee dreamed a life and then lived a life bigger than she could have ever imagined, giving so generously to others in ways we saw and ways we didn’t."
Parton’s musical influence spanned generations, even inspiring the careers of a younger wave of female talent, including pop stars Sabrina Carpenter and Miley Cyrus.
The pair collaborated in 2025 for a country-inspired remix and music video of Carpenter’s hit song Please Please Please.
"The only thing I could say after we first met was ‘she really is an angel walking the earth’ and ‘we look like we could be sisters!’" Carpenter wrote on Instagram.
Along with behind the scenes pictures of the pair filming their music video, Carpenter added: "Your light will be something the world will search forever to find again."
Singer Miley Cyrus is Parton’s goddaughter. The pair teamed up on a new version of Cyrus’s 2013 song Wrecking Ball, and Parton appeared on several episodes of Hannah Montana, in which Cyrus starred.
Cyrus’s father and Parton’s close friend Billy Ray Cyrus remembered the music icon as being "part of our lives, on our TV’s, right in our living rooms".
"I have so many moments and memories with Dolly, it’s hard to know where to start," he said. "Like every little boy, I grew up loving Dolly Parton."
