Remembering the queen of country, Dolly Parton

BY MICAELA SULLIVAN

Multimedia Journalist

On Aug. 25, 2026, people all around the world were met with shock at the news of country legend and American icon Dolly Parton's passing. 

Dolly Rebecca Parton was born Jan. 19, 1946, in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, to father and mother Robert Lee Parton and Avie Lee Parton. 

The Parton family, including Dolly’s 11 siblings, grew up in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Unlike what she would become, her life wasn’t really glamorous, as her family struggled financially and lived in a cabin. 

Despite their circumstances, music was a core part of her and her family's roots, with Parton growing up with her mother singing and later her uncle——Bill Owens—who would introduce her to guitar and would encourage her to pursue music. 

Parton started her music career very young, with her first performances on local radio and television in Knoxville at age 10. 

As she grew older, she would continue to perform whenever she could. It wasn’t until she collaborated with country singer Porter Wagoner and was featured on the Port Wagoner Show, that she became more recognized. 

From then on, she slowly became one of the greatest artists this world has ever seen while still remaining humble and kind. Even if someone was not necessarily a fan, everyone knew who she was and the positive impact she made. 

When the news came that Parton had passed away, many were shocked, and many did not believe what was circulating on social media. Tarleton State University student Esmeralda Ervin voiced what so many experienced. 

“When I saw it first on the internet, I was just kind of surprised. I feel like she was someone I thought would never really pass away. Just the way she carried herself and went about her life, she was always so positive,” Ervin said. 

During Parton's life, she created and left lots of pieces of herself in the things that she left behind. One of these things was “Dollywood,” an amusement theme park created in her hometown. The amusement park was a way for Parton to give back to the community she grew up in and give people a chance to visit the beauty and hospitality of the Appalachian community. 

Among the things that Parton was known and appreciated for, one of the biggest was her Imagination Library; a program that was created for her hometown that then grew to be an internationally recognized program. 

Its mission: To make books free to children so that they may learn to read and write and grow a love for reading. Parton created this program as a tribute to her father, who did not have enough education to read and write. 

Kiala Walp De Souza, another Tarleton student, recalls her own experience with Parton as her mom had introduced her to Parton at a young age. She stated that she had probably started listening to Parton straight out of the womb, so for the news of her passing to come, it was unbelievable. 

“She meant so much to so many people, and she's probably one of the purest souls that has walked the earth,” Walp De Souza said. 

“She helped any community that needed help. She went and helped children with cancer, minority groups and she never discriminated. She did a lot in the time she had.”

Walp De Souza believed that her honesty was what gave people so much trust in her and brought them together, which is not something that just any artist could do.

“She was so nice I don’t think she had one enemy, you just couldn’t hate her at all,” Walp De Souza said. 

Walp De Souza is not the only person who viewed Parton in such a bright light. So many heartbroken people around the world have been deeply impacted by her and will live to tell the story of an icon who always wanted to help. 

All across the world, people are paying tribute to Parton. At Tarleton State University’s first football game of the season, The Sound and The Fury’s marching band shared a combined performance with Prairie View A&M’s band, The Marching Storm. Together, the bands played Parton's hit “9 to 5” as a tribute to Parton. 

Through the stadium, students, fans and guests all grooved to the tribute, with the performance being one to never forget, and something Parton would have loved. 

At the end of the day, Parton would not have wanted her fans or anyone to be too upset, but to remember her for what she stood for. 

As Dolly Parton once said, “See someone without a smile, give them one of yours.”