Australia’s music community is remembering Dolly Parton, with artists including Troy Cassar-Daley, Clare Bowditch, Amy Sheppard and Busby Marou sharing heartfelt tributes to the country music legend following her death at 80.
Parton died on Tuesday in Nashville after a “brief battle” with cancer, her representatives have since confirmed. The singer, songwriter, actor, author and philanthropist leaves behind a cultural legacy that stretches well beyond country music, and Australia held a special place in a career that took her around the world.
Busby Marou were among those sharing a particularly personal memory of Parton, recalling the two shows they supported her at Hope Estate in the Hunter Valley in 2011.
After their set, the duo met Parton, who told them she had been listening from the window of her green room bus before wishing them luck in their careers.
“We’ve never forgotten it,” they wrote, describing the experience as one of their greatest “pinch me” moments.
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Troy Cassar-Daley also paid tribute, writing that Parton’s death would “hit the world very hard” and thanking her for “80 years of joy”.
“Rest in the sweet by and by Dolly Parton, this one is gonna hit the world very hard today , she spread 80 years of joy across this world, and we thank you… Tcd xx” he wrote.
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Clare Bowditch reflected not only on Parton’s unmistakable voice, but on the generosity and warmth that became just as central to her public legacy.
“This world will miss you, dear Dolly,” Bowditch wrote, adding that people around the world would continue singing her songs “for as long as humans can remember”.
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Amy Sheppard shared her own musical tribute, posting a video of herself singing “Jolene” alongside the message: “We will always love you Dolly. Thank you for the music.”
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Y.O.G.A. (Reuben Styles) also turned to Parton’s catalogue, revisiting his recording of “9 to 5” with Taylor Moss and sharing the track alongside a tribute to the late singer.
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“It’s hard to know what to say… Dolly Parton could just be the greatest there ever was,” he told Rolling Stone AU/NZ.
“Not just as a performer, but as a songwriter, as a lyricist, as a donator to children (through the Imagination Library) and an activist, she just wanted everyone to live their best life. So, I’m standing by it — she could just be the greatest there ever was.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese remembered Parton as an artist whose impact went well beyond music, describing her as a singer and songwriter of “rare power and talent” as well as an actor, author and philanthropist.
He also recalled meeting Parton during her 2011 Australian tour, after helping resolve the red tape surrounding the use of her tour bus on Australian roads.
“It was a magical experience meeting her,” Albanese wrote, “but what was even better was seeing her among her legions of local fans.”
He ended his tribute by encouraging Australians to put on Parton’s music and “turn the volume up”.
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The tributes arrive as further details about Parton’s death have emerged. Her representatives confirmed she died at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville following a “brief battle” with cancer.
In a statement, her team remembered her for the joy, generosity and compassion that defined both her career and her life, pointing to everything from her Imagination Library to her support of medical research.
Parton had faced a number of health issues in the period before her death, including dizziness, dehydration and problems involving her immune and digestive systems. She had also previously postponed and later cancelled a Las Vegas residency while undergoing treatment.
Even so, the scale of the reaction to her death has centred less on the circumstances of her final months than on the extraordinary reach of the life and career that came before them.
Shania Twain, Brandi Carlile and more have also paid tribute to the star.
For the Australian artists and public figures paying tribute, the common thread is unmistakable: whether through her songs, her generosity or a fleeting backstage encounter, Dolly Parton left an impression that endured.
