Stella Parton breaks her silence after sister Dolly’s death with heartbreaking tribute
For years, Stella Parton and her sister Dolly had a weekly appointment nobody else was invited to - coffee over the phone, every Tuesday morning, just before the sun came up.
Sadly, that ritual is now over.
Dolly Parton died on Tuesday (August 25), at the age of 80, and it was Stella who confirmed just how much the loss of their weekly catch-up means to her, in a raw tribute posted on social media.
"My big sister Dolly got her wings this past Tuesday," she wrote, adding that she was certain Dolly 'made it right on time' to heaven, 'in all her sparkles and shine'.
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Stella's tribute leaned heavily on those small, private moments the sisters shared rather than Dolly's fame.
She recalled how, as 'little farm girls', they'd always been early risers, with Dolly fond of saying: "Shoot Tedda we get more work done before the sun comes up than most folks do all day long!"
What did Stella Parton say about Dolly Parton's death?
Stella described her sister as 'one of the most generous, thoughtful and kind people I've ever known', revealing that Dolly had told her she would still let doctors try experimental treatment on her, even without hope for herself, purely to help future patients.
Stella said that during their Tuesday chats: "I would criticize and complain about it and she would laugh and say; 'shoot Tedda, we’ve got more important things to do than worry about their silly asses'.
"She was right and she proved it everyday."
She added: "My Tuesday morning coffee time will never be the same but her love, respect and goodness will remain. Dolly loved the world and everyone in it."
Dolly leaves behind a catalogue few musicians can match.
She's one of the best-selling female country artists in history, having sold more than 160 million albums since her 1967 debut, Hello, I'm Dolly, and later hits including 'I Will Always Love You' and '9 to 5'.
Dolly was predeceased by Carl Dean, her husband of nearly 60 years, who passed away aged 82 in March 2025.
Stella closed her tribute with a message to fans: "She left the world a better place by being in it so let's follow her example."
According to the statement given to PEOPLE, Dolly was admitted to the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville on Friday (August 21), and died four days later following a 'brief battle with cancer', surrounded by loved ones.
Her team's statement praised her for 'bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched,' pointing to the 'hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library' and funding she provided toward a lifesaving vaccine used worldwide.
Seaver, who has served as Dolly's head of security for more than two decades, described the moment in deeply personal terms in his announcement, calling it 'an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness'.
He added that 'sadness lies with us, not with Dolly', saying he believes she has been reunited with her late husband, Carl, and her parents.
Just days before she died, Dolly herself had spoken to PEOPLE about her declining health, admitting she'd been 'dealing with some health issues' she hadn't paid close attention to while caring for Carl.
She compared it to a rough patch in the early 1980s, joking that constant social media scrutiny now made everything feel bigger than it used to: "I used to joke that I was the Queen of the Tabloids, but now I guess I can say I'm the Queen of Social Media AI!"
Even so, Dolly insisted that she wasn't done yet, saying she still had 'so many things I want to achieve'.
A timeline of Dolly Parton's charity work
The country singer has been fondly remembered for her generosity and how much she gave back to local communities across the United States, as well as contributing to education, welfare and animal rights. Here's a list of everything she did to help others:
The Dollywood Foundation
In 1988, Parton originally launched the organization in her home county of Sevier County, Tennessee, with the goal of decreasing high school drop out rates. She then launched the Buddy Program, which saw Parton give every seventh and eighth grader who finished high school $500.
According to the organization, the initiative was successful and the dropout rate declined from 35 percent to just 6 percent.
Eagle Mountain Sanctuary at Dollywood
In 1991, the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee partnered with the American Eagle Foundation (AEF) to open a 30,000-square-foot aviary that sheltered the largest collection of 'non-releasable' bald eagles.
This partnership 'helped introduce millions of Dollywood guests to America’s national symbol and to the importance of protecting bald eagles and other birds of prey', according to the AEF's website.
Imagination Library
In 1995, the Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library was founded and inspired by Parton’s father, who was unable to read. It began sending one book per month to each enrolled child in Sevier County from birth until their first year of school.
In 2025, it was announced that the Imagination Library gifted more than 40.3 million books, bringing the program’s total books gifted since its launch to more than 304.5 million.
The Dolly Parton Scholarship
According to the Dollywood Foundation, the scholarship - an annual award granting $15,000 each to five high school seniors in Sevier County, Tennessee - is awarded to those who 'have a dream they wish to pursue and who can successfully communicate their plan and commitment to realize their dreams'.
My People Fund
After previously working hard to aid wildfire relief in Tennessee in 2016, Parton launched the My People Fund, which provided $1,000 a month for six months to families whose homes were completely destroyed by the fires.
The fund also donated around $8.9 million to those in need.
$1 million donation to a children’s hospital
In 2017, Parton made the staggering donation to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in honor of her niece, who was treated for leukemia at that hospital.
She made another $1 million donation to the same hospital in 2022, this time aiming to help pediatric infectious disease research.
Covid-19 vaccine donation efforts
Parton donated $1 million to coronavirus research at Vanderbilt University, which helped fund Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.
Tennessee flooding relief
$700,000 was raised by Parton and her Smoky Mountain businesses in 2021 to help residents impacted by the catastrophic flooding in Middle Tennessee.
Dollywood education coverage
In 2022, the Dollywood Co. announced that it will cover 100% of tuition, fees and books for any employee who is furthering their education.
The program is available to all seasonal, part-time and full-time employees at Dollywood Parks & Resorts.
$1 million donation to the Salvation Amy
In late 2023, the singer donated another generous $1 million to the Salvation Army, with the money going towards food and grocery programs in the US.
$2 million donation toward Hurricane Helene relief
Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in 2024, which affected areas across Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, Parton donated $1 million from her own funds for the Mountain Way’s Foundation, which provides assistance to flood victims.
Her East Tennessee businesses and the Dollywood Foundation also pledged an additional $1 million.
Topics: Dolly Parton, World News, Music
Thomas Bamford