Luke Bryan was a guest on Taste of Country Nights with Evan Paul on Aug. 31 where I got his take on Dolly Parton‘s passing.
Luke Bryan Remembers Dolly Parton: ‘She Shaped My Life’
Bryan said, “We were in the same room several times together. I got to see her perform several times. I never got to really like, meet her face-to-face, embrace her.”
“I think she impacted my life, certainly,” he continues. “I was a dumb kid. I was born in the late ’70s, but going through the ’80s and seeing so many Dolly movies and Dolly songs , she really shaped my life.”
Dolly Parton Was Always in Full Dolly Mode
Bryan explained to me that unlike other superstars, who you might see with a hat and sunglasses trying to hide when they go to a store, Parton fully embraced her stardom and welcomed the attention.
Bryan said, “The main thing is the way she approached being a star. If you saw Dolly Parton, she was always in full character and in full Dolly mode. I’m really regretful I never got to spend five minutes telling her that, but she certainly affected my life.”
When Did Dolly Parton Die?
Dolly Parton died on August 25, 2026, at the age of 80. She died in Nashville, Tennessee, following a brief battle with cancer, according to her family and multiple reports.
Read More: Country Icon Dolly Parton Dead at 80
It’s still really hard to type that last part out. Doesn’t seem real that we have lost Parton.
9 Times Dolly Parton Sang About Heaven and Her Faith
Dolly Parton has an extensive catalog of music from her decades in the genre. And while there are several big hits like “Jolene” and “9 to 5,” it’s the songs about her faith that she might have loved the most.
Parton was open about her love for Jesus, and she often sang about it, weaving in beautiful imagery of what Heaven would be like one day.
She kept her faith on her sleeve until the day she passed, finally getting to where she was going.
Gallery Credit: Jess Rose
PICTURES: See Inside Dolly Parton’s Charming California Cabin
Dolly Parton sold her cozy cabin in California in 2024, and pictures show a charming retreat that’s as down-home as she was.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
