We’ll always love you, Dolly.

The world lost a giant today — but her impact will be forever felt ...

Author

Sandy Allen
August 25, 2026

Welcome to What’s Helping Today, a newsletter about the everyday work of staying alive on earth — written by author and journalist Sandy Ernest Allen.

RIP, Dolly Parton.

The world has lost a giant today. I had written some words on Bluesky, right as I heard …

She was a generous, deeply loving, extremely original person. A fighter, a survivor. Compassionate, in a real way. Giving, in a real way. Endlessly hard-working, hilarious, talented, wise. A phenomenal singer and an all-time great songwriter. Someone whose soul shone brightly and always. That she was mortal barely ever occurred to me.

I’ve been reflecting a lot on something I heard Travis Barker say on Anderson’s Cooper grief-related podcast the other day: Live in their honor. 

Live in their honor. I heard Travis Barker talk about this and I just bawled, given my reality lately (which is consumed by grief).

Contemplating someone as titanic as Dolly Parton and the improbable notion of her passing, all I can say is:

Let’s everyone who loved her — and who doesn’t love Dolly fucking Parton? — let’s everyone who did love her try to live in her honor.

I sang some of her songs at the piano this afternoon. I’ve got her albums playing. I’ll no doubt rewatch 9 to 5 soon. I’ve been watching clips and reading many gorgeous tributes online.

Especially if you’re someone who’s still slept on doing so: Listen to her music. Learn about her amazing deeds. Watch 9 to 5 (if you haven’t before). Look to her life for inspiration.

As many are reflecting, she did so many astounding acts:

Remember that if you got the Moderna Covid vaccine, you have Dolly Parton to thank, she gave the largest individual contribution toward their research to make it possible.

— Amadi Lovelace (@amaditalks.bsky.social)2026-08-25T18:06:14.531Z

BRB sobbing:

Dolly Parton on trans rights. God I loved her.

— Scott Bryan (@scottygb.bsky.social)2026-08-25T18:36:44.169Z

BRB sobbing:

This is the letter kids got at the end of Dolly’s Imagination Library. I defy you to read this and not cry.

— Joel (@itsjoels.bsky.social)2026-08-25T18:28:16.207Z

Some links:

Radiolab did a whole spinoff show on Dolly Parton some years ago, I highly recommend it:

Dolly Parton's America

Music History Podcast · Series · In this intensely divided moment, one of the few things everyone still seems to agree on is Dolly Parton—but why? That simple question leads to a deeply personal, historical, and musical rethinking of…

Apple Podcasts

My household’s main bit of Dolly Parton connection was this viral tweet:

oh no. what a loss, what a legend. RIP dolly parton, our only collab was brief and also you weren't aware of it, but i'll never ever forget it

— sincerely, rob dubbin (@robdubbin.bsky.social)2026-08-25T18:13:26.115Z

Which then became this profile’s lede (so surreal!):

Dolly Parton May Look Artificial, But She’s Totally Real

"If I’m not a good example of a woman in power, I don’t know who is."

ELLE

This summer, a particularly buoyant meme began bouncing around Twitter. Created by comedian Rob Dubbin, it hinges on the punch line “ran into jolene....she mentioned you left kind of an intense voicemail.” Its giddy reception was a testament to the fact that a song written 46 years ago still resonates with The Youth. For further proof, look at the Gen Z members of the K-pop group BTS, who mouthed the words to “Jolene” as Dolly Parton performed it at this year’s Grammys. The song’s appeal, like that of Parton herself, transcends age, race, nationality, and pretty much every demographic factor out there, possibly including “home planet.”

I also did recall that this was an early and great Drunk History (I don’t even drink these days and haven’t for nearly a decade but this still make me LOL):

Dolly: We’ll always love you.

💔 ,
Sandy

p.s. What’s Helping Today: I do have to share this holy-shit-amazing thing that happened to me this morning:

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