Terri Clark is one of many artists who are speaking out about the loss of Dolly Parton. Clark shared her thoughts on Parton’s passing away, shortly after the news was announced.
“We just lost our matriarch,” Clark says on social media. “She was so much more than an entertainer. She swung the pendulum toward the light in times of darkness. She gave back so much more than she ever took and used her name and influence for the greater good. THAT’S WHY the song ‘What Would Dolly Do’ was written and loved.
“The world almost feels off its axis right now, and how we exist in it without her remains to be seen,” she continues. “She taught us so much through her heart and her actions and left behind a legacy of love and light. Now she is in that light with her loved ones and her God. Thank you, Dolly, for inspiration beyond music. Humanity is better because of you.”
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Inside Dolly Parton’s Private Health Struggles
Parton has been quietly battling several health struggles in recent months, although she never disclosed any specifics.
In May, Parton announced she was canceling her Las Vegas residency, one she had previously postponed, due to some health challenges. Within the last week, Parton revealed she was trying to get better, and said she had a lot left she wanted to do, in country music and beyond.
“As I’ve shared in video messages throughout the past year, I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,” Parton told People on August 21. “You know, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to manage something like this. Back in the early ’80s, I was down for several months with female issues, and I was struggling with my weight at the time too, so it’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health.”
“But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago,” she continued. “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! Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’! You know me — as I’ve often said — I’ve dreamed myself into a corner and I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I’m gonna keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life.”
Dolly Parton’s Extraordinary Legacy
Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced that his beloved aunt had passed away.
“Dolly opened doors not just for me, but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn’t even know was possible,” Seaver said in part. “Dolly also opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians, and dreamers from every walk of life, and across every continent. By her example, we believe that anything is possible. She never saw a door she couldn’t open. And the doors she opened made and changed history. My family and I have shared a lifetime of beautiful memories with Dolly.”
The family will hold a private memorial service. In lieu of flowers, her famiily requests that donations be made to the Imagination Library in her honor.