Dolly Parton died at age 80 on Aug. 25, leaving behind a legacy dating back seven decades
Credit: billyjoel/Instagram;Jason Kempin/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Billy Joel posted a touching tribute in memory of the late Dolly Parton
- The singer and songwriter shared a heartfelt post on Instagram for the late country music icon, who died on Wednesday, Aug. 25 at 80, including some throwback photos from a family trip to Dollywood last year
- In the caption, Joel paid homage to Parton, noting her legacy has been an “inspiration to our family and our foundation.”
Billy Joel is reflecting on the impact Dolly Parton had on him and his family.
The singer and songwriter, 77, shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram for the late country music icon, who died on Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 80, including some throwback photos from his family’s trip to Dollywood last year. In the caption, Joel paid homage to Parton, noting her legacy has been an “inspiration to our family and our foundation.”
“Today we have lost a legend,” he began his heartfelt tribute. “Dolly Parton has transcended time and become one of those iconic artists who is known for just being Dolly, beyond a specific song or moment in time. I was one of the lucky ones whose music she covered.”
“Our family visited Dollywood last year. Our children looked up to her and knew her music,” added Joel, who went on the trip with his wife Alexis Roderick and their two daughters Remy Anne, 8, and Della Rose, 11. “The love for Dolly spanned generations. Her work in acknowledging endometriosis before most people knew what it was, and her philanthropic efforts have been inspirational to our family and our foundation.”
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Joel concluded his caption saying that while Parton’s presence will be missed, her legacy left a lasting mark on the world.
“We will miss her and her presence on this earth, but we will reap all the rewards of her life dedicated to making it a better place. Love, The Joel Family #DollyParton.”
Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, revealed the heartbreaking news of the music icon’s death in an Instagram video.
“My name is Bryan Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I’m representing the Parton and Owens family today announcing the passing of my aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean, Sister, Sis and Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next,” he said in the video. “This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality. As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now.”
Seaver added: “It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens.”
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“I first went on the road with Dolly as a kid, getting a taste of the road life in the early 1980s. Dolly opened doors not just for me but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn’t even know was possible. Dolly also opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians and dreamers from every walk of life and across every continent,” Seaver added in the video message. “By her example, we believed that anything is possible. She never saw a door she couldn’t open, and the doors she opened made and changed history.
His statement continued: “My family and I have shared a lifetime of beautiful memories with Dolly, but so have you. She has always been on your television, your record player, your CD and on your phone playlist, becoming an extended part of your family whether you liked it or not. Our family and the team she has entrusted with her legacy will work diligently to ensure her spirit will live with us forever. Dolly was a farmer, just like her daddy; he farmed the soil, she farmed songs and happiness. Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life of wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest.”
Seaver ended his statement, saying, “Rest in peace, Aunt Dolly — Aunt, Granny, Gigi. May God bless Dolly Parton, and may God bless you all. She will always love you.”
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