Lainey Wilson Remembers Final Phone Call with Dolly Parton in Tribute: ‘I Felt Like You Were My Friend Before We Even Met’

The singer shares a heartfelt tribute to her mentor and friend, recalling their last phone call and the advice the country icon gave her about love, life and faith

NEED TO KNOW

• Lainey Wilson shared a heartfelt tribute to Dolly Parton, reflecting on their friendship and final conversation
• Parton offered Wilson advice on relationships, faith, and navigating the music industry during their last phone call
• Wilson credited Parton as a major influence on her career and expressed gratitude for their time together

Lainey Wilson always looked up to Dolly Parton. But over the years, the country stars became friends — and their relationship gave Wilson a chance to know her idol beyond the stage.

Following Parton’s death at 80 on Aug. 25, the “4X4XU” singer, 34, shared a heartfelt tribute to the country legend on Instagram, remembering their friendship and revealing details from their final conversation just a few weeks earlier.

“My Dolly. 💛 I felt like you were my friend before we even met.. you made everybody feel that way,” Wilson wrote. “But once we became friends, boy did we have a lot to talk about…”

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Wilson said she was especially grateful that Parton called her a couple of weeks before her death. During the conversation, the two talked about everything from the music business and sacrifice to their relationships.

“We got to talk about the business, the sacrifice, how special Carl Dean was to you and how important Duck is to me.” Wilson wrote, referring to Parton’s late husband, Carl Dean, and her own husband, real estate agent and former NFL player Devlin “Duck” Hodges.

The country icon also had some advice for the singer about her relationship with Hodges, 30.

“You told me that “it’s all great and stuff that Duck lets you be you, but you better make sure you let Duck be himself too.””

The conversation also turned to faith. Wilson said Parton encouraged her to take her time with the Bible.

“You also told me to take my time reading the book of Revelation and that I might need to go on back to Psalms for a minute to catch my breath.”

For Wilson, the conversation was especially meaningful because she and Parton had something else in common: a feeling that they were meant to make music.

“We talked about how we both feel like we were called into this business and you told me you felt like you weren’t finished,” Wilson wrote.

Then came the part Wilson seemed to hold onto most.

“Well my friend, you are not. The kind of love and light you shined in your lifetime is the kind that never goes away.”

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Wilson has long spoken about how much Parton influenced her career. In a previous interview with PEOPLE, she described Parton as an inspiration for the way she approached both her career and her life. “What would Dolly do?” became something of a mantra for Wilson, who grew up in Baskin, La., and moved to Nashville in 2011 to pursue country music.

Her path to success wasn’t exactly quick. Wilson spent three years living in a camper trailer in Nashville while trying to get her music career off the ground, walking up and down Music Row and handing out demos. She faced plenty of rejection before “Things a Man Oughta Know” became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Country Airplay chart in 2021.

Parton was part of Wilson’s musical journey, too. The pair eventually spent time together in the studio, and Wilson recorded a cover of “Mama He’s Crazy” with Parton for a Judds tribute album.

“I think all of y’all probably know how important Dolly is to me and my journey and how important she is to so many people,” Wilson said at a BMI conference. “She has definitely been somebody that I look up to when I think about like is can I do this? Can I not? Should I do this? Should I not? Should I say this should I not? She somehow always does it with grace.”

She also recalled the experience of working with Parton as something that felt almost surreal.

“I got to spend time with her in the studio and just having her coach me up and just the banter that me and her have been able to have with each other, I feel like I’ve known her from another lifetime.”

Now, Wilson says she will carry that relationship with her.

“I am thankful the Lord gave you a gift, you decided to share it, and the Lord decided to share you with us,” she wrote.

She even imagined what their reunion might look like someday.

“I can’t wait to see you again and I know when I hug your neck in heaven someday you are still gonna be saying, “don’t mess up hair, Lainey girl.””

Wilson ended her tribute with a simple goodbye to the woman who had been both an idol and a friend: “I will always love you, my friend. 💛🦋”

Wilson is currently on the road, with select concert dates and festival appearances scheduled through October 2026.

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