RIP Dolly Parton: A True Beauty Inside and Out
Dolly Parton photographed by Mike Ruiz as published in Cream Magazine, 2004.
When I first read of Dolly Parton’s passing this morning, 3am Perth time, in a post by Julian Lennon, I felt my heart go heavy and could just muster a really sad, ‘Oh-‘.
The mind boggles when an icon dies. And when one is as beautiful inside and out as Dolly Parton is, the headline goes fuzzy and you can’t / don’t want to believe the news. But I took a deep breath, and myself off the couch, came to the computer to write – but just sat for a minute, frozen between news and eulogy.
I snapped out of it, flicked through a folder of fab classic portraits, and out shined the glorious one of Dolly, above, shot by Cream favourite photographer, Mike Ruiz. The burst of fire, the songs that came out of that jet-red lipsticked mouth, the sweet words, the hysteric laughter. The flame and the firefighter. The boggle dice land on the right side of memory and then just about everything about this woman – from her beautiful voice and infectious smile to her booming generosity – comes flashing back. And the frown turns into a smile.
In life, Dolly was absolutely lovely. Vale to an artist whose music made us feel, and will continue to do so; to a beautiful, vivacious, brilliant-minded and enlightening woman whose songs will not only bring us joyous and bittersweet memories and connotations for our years to come, but whose heartfelt legacy will stand the test of time.
One of the greatest singer-songwriters in country music (and occasionally pop), Dolly Parton not only created great songs, she made her audiences feel. Even in her interview moments, she was always so forthright, so captivating, and more importantly, so real.
Dolly Parton died today, 25th August (the 26th in Australia) at the age of 80. A relatively young age, really, especially when you consider how lively the artist was on camera, and off. The actual cause of the star’s death has not been publicly disclosed by her family or her public relations team, with reports only stating that the legendary country music icon passed away peacefully on August 25, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee. She did mention to the media recently that she had been dealing with health challenges and fatigue in recent months, and had canceled her Las Vegas residency, postponing appearances due to kidney and autoimmune issues.
Dolly’s death was announced by her nephew, Brian Seaver, on Instagram.
Offstage, Dolly did away with frilly contemporary trends, preferring a down-home private and family life, and reserving all that bubbly energy for special occasions – be it on a talk show, in press conference, and more so of course, on stage.
Still, at least through Instagram and the instant messaging of today, the news reaches us quicker than waiting for the 6am news. So thanks to Julian, and to Brian who wrote: “I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now. It is an honour, an honour that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness.”
Wrote portraitist Mike Ruiz on his Instagram feed: “I’m so devasted to hear of the passing of a true American treasure, Dolly Parton. There are some people whose light is so extraordinary that it seems impossible to imagine the world without it. Dolly Parton is one of those people. She was one of the warmest people that I’ve ever worked with.”
Dolly also had a wicked sense of humour. She once quipped, “I have pretty good skin considering my age, and I think a lot of it is mineral oil and bacon grease.”
In fact, while many would compliment Dolly on her beauty, she would kind of poke fun at strict aesthetics, once telling Cream, “I’m very comfortable with the way I look. I know it’s completely artificial to look at and all [but] the way I look comes out of a country girl’s idea of what glamour was. Still, the media can be cruel.” We never were. To us, Dolly was a true icon among a few handfuls.
And music? Boy, did she make a lot of it. In the US alone, Dolly earnt a record-breaking 25 country number 1 singles and had an astonishing 47 albums reach the country chart Top 10. She crossed over into the pop charts big-time with her hit song 9 to 5 from the hit movie of the same name.
Not only a gifted singer, Dolly Parton was very much a humanitarian. After the 2016 Smoky Mountain wildfires in the US, she launched the ‘My People Fund’, giving $1,000 a month each for six months to displaced families, raising $12.5 million total. She frequently donated to victims of natural disasters, including a $1 million relief donation following Hurricane Helene in 2024. She championed her LGBTQI fans and followers as much as they adored her. And of course she had her own ‘Dollywood Foundation’ which has been running since 1995 to today, mailing a free book every month to tens of thousands of children, from birth until they commence kindergarten.
As Dolly once originally sang, she knew that “children are the future; teach them well and let them lead the way”. Many children today won’t feel the sadness I felt. And that Mike felt. And that Julian felt. And that millions of fellow artists, classic music listeners and contemporary pop darlings will be feeling.
Thanks for all the decades of joyous expression, occasional sorrow, stories well-lived, and a life well-loved.
The soul is likely soaring high right now, but I say to that Dolly spirit, as one true Darlin’ once said, “Y’all come back now, y’hear!”
Antonino Tati
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