Dolly Parton isn’t a national icon. She’s an international icon.
As fans from the music and entertainment communities share their memories of the late country music superstar, Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to the “Jolene” singer and songwriter.
“Dolly Parton made our world a better place in so many ways, it’s hard to imagine the world without her. A singer and songwriter of rare power and talent, she also shone brightly as an actor, author and philanthropist,” he writes in a social post, which is accompanied by a picture of the pair enjoying a laugh.
“And the big, radiant heart of the Dolly universe was a personality as strong as it was compassionate, a vivacious woman of great humour and a sense of humanity sustained in no small part by the humble strength of her roots.”
Parton made a rare trip to Australia for her Better Day tour of 2011. Michael Chugg was the promoter of that trek, her first of these parts in decades.
Red tape, however, threatened to unravel the 12-show national trek, as Parton’s tour bus was found to flout the regulations. The vehicle was deemed to be too long, too wide for Australian roads.
With the intervention of Albanese, who was federal transport minister at the time, in the Julia Gillard government, the shows went ahead.
“One of the joys of my time in Government was when I was able to help Dolly overcome a bit of red tape and get her tour bus on to Australian roads in 2011. It was a magical experience meeting her, but what was even better was seeing her among her legions of local fans,” Albanese recounts.
“There are a lot of broken hearts in Australia and across the world today. Wherever you are, turn your stereo or your phone to Dolly then turn the volume up. And may the great Dolly Parton rest in peace.”
Parton returned to Australia in 2014 for six dates, part of her Blue Smoke World Tour.
The “Islands In The Stream” artist had a special connection with Australia, and, particularly, the city of Melbourne, for which she was handed the keys to the city in 1987.
The symbolic gesture “was the least we could do,” reads a social post from the City of Melbourne. “Dolly’s values of creativity and community are ones Melbourne shares. We are a city known for our love of music, and we embrace the songwriting legacy she leaves behind.
As a UNESCO City of Literature, we’ll keep spreading the joy and importance of reading to the next generation. And as the inventors of the 8-hour day, we’ll be Workin’ 9 to 5 in your honor,” a nod to the 1980 comedy film, in which she starred, and its hit title track, which she performed.
The state of Victoria’s peak body representing trade unions and hundreds of thousands of workers, the Victorian Trades Hall Council, also saluted Parton for her integrity and the choices she made to help countless others.
“Dolly Parton could have been a billionaire. But instead, she chose to lift the rest of the world up,” reads a statement from the organization. “She created thousands of good jobs in the community she grew up in. She made sure that millions of children around the world have access to books in those vital early years. She donated millions to medical research. And she was a proud union member for over 50 years. Vale comrade Dolly.”
Parton died in Nashville on Tuesday (Aug. 25) at the age of 80, leaving a legacy that will be cherished for as long as people listen to music. Named Billboard’s top country artist of all time in 2024, Dolly was a cultural and commercial force. She landed 49 albums in the top 10 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, the most of any woman, and she landed more No. 1s on the Hot Country Songs chart for a woman artist, with 25. In 1999, she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and in 2022, elevated into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.
