Taylor Swift is remembering Dolly Parton following the country music legend’s death, describing her legacy as “everlasting” and honoring the impact she had on generations of artists.
“A world without Dolly doesn’t feel possible, real, or right,” Swift said in a statement shared Tuesday, Aug. 25. She added that Parton’s generosity and the countless lives she changed had ensured her legacy would live on.
Swift remembered Parton as someone who encouraged people to embrace who they were while still maintaining an element of mystery and fantasy around her life.
The pop superstar also praised Parton’s ability to deliver lessons about the world with honesty, humor and grace. She described the country icon as possessing “the softest heart” when it came to other people’s struggles while having “a backbone of steel” when defending her own worth as an artist.
Parton’s commitment to children and literacy was another major part of Swift’s tribute. Swift thanked her for providing millions of books to children around the world through the Imagination Library, a program dedicated to giving young children access to books.
“For the melodies and lyrics she wrote that thawed even the coldest hearts,” Swift said. “For the millions of books she provided children all over the world so that they might fall in love with stories the way she did.”
Swift also recalled the inspiration Parton provided to young girls who dreamed of creative careers.
“For the tightropes she walked so that young girls like me could grow up dreaming of joining the circus too,” Swift said. “Dolly, I’ll think of you each step of the way.”
The tribute comes after Parton personally thanked Swift and her husband, Travis Kelce, for a $2 million donation to the Imagination Library. In a July 3 video message, Parton expressed her gratitude to the couple and jokingly asked if she could have their firstborn child.
The moment offered a glimpse into the mutual admiration between the two stars. Parton had also publicly praised Swift for years, telling PEOPLE in 2015 that she was proud of the singer for knowing who she was, pursuing her dream and sticking with it.
Parton’s death was confirmed by her nephew Bryan Seaver in an Instagram video. Her representatives later said the singer died following a brief battle with cancer.
Swift now joins a growing list of stars paying tribute to Parton, whose career spanned music, film, philanthropy and decades of cultural influence. For Swift, the farewell was also a thank-you to an artist whose songs, generosity and example reached far beyond country music.
“Dolly, I’ll think of you each step of the way,” Swift said.
