Sabrina Carpenter is remembering Dolly Parton as more than a music legend, sharing an emotional tribute after the country icon’s death and reflecting on the bond they formed while working together.
Carpenter shared a carousel of photos from the set of their “Please Please Please” collaboration, giving fans a glimpse of the two stars together during the music video shoot.
In her Instagram caption, Carpenter recalled her first meeting with Parton and the immediate impression the country superstar made on her.
“The only thing I could say after we first met was ‘she really is an angel walking the earth’ and ‘we look like we could be sisters!’ ” Carpenter wrote.
The pop star, 27, then turned to the personal moments she shared with Parton, saying she would hold onto their laughter and conversations, along with the wisdom and humor Parton brought to their time together.
“I will cherish our laughter and conversations, and I will keep your wisdom, your playful outlook on life, and perfect sense of humor in my pocket for the rainy days,” Carpenter wrote.
Their collaboration came in February 2025, when Parton joined Carpenter for a new rendition of “Please Please Please.” The collaboration was especially meaningful to Carpenter, who had previously described Parton as one of her biggest idols.
Parton also had one condition before agreeing to appear. She told Carpenter that she did not want to use profanity, make fun of Jesus or speak negatively about God on camera. Carpenter subsequently changed the song’s explicit lyric to “I beg you, don’t embarrass me like the others.”
The collaboration became a memorable meeting point between two generations of music, with Parton appearing alongside Carpenter in the song’s music video.
Now, Carpenter is reflecting on what made Parton irreplaceable.
“There will never be another you and how lucky are we all to have experienced your singular magic as well as your once in a lifetime voice, songs, and heart,” she wrote.
Carpenter ended her tribute by saying Parton’s light would be something the world would search for “forever to find again,” before adding, “I will always love you.”
Parton died Tuesday, Aug. 25, at a Nashville-area medical center after being hospitalized four days earlier. The supplied reports give differing details about the circumstances surrounding her death: one report says she had been dealing with kidney and autoimmune issues, while another says a representative described her death as following a brief battle with cancer.
Carpenter is among numerous stars who have paid tribute to Parton following her death, including Paul McCartney, Eminem, Billy Ray Cyrus, Beyoncé and several of Parton’s country music peers and “Steel Magnolias” costars.
For Carpenter, though, the farewell was deeply personal: a goodbye to the artist she once called an angel and a collaborator whose voice, humor and wisdom left a lasting impression.
