Dolly Parton’s death sparks outpouring of grief in divided America

(FILES) US singer Dolly Parton performs onstage during the 61st Annual Grammy Awards on February 10, 2019, in Los Angeles. Legendary US singer-songwriter and country music legend Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80, her family announced on August 25, 2026. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP)

A deeply divided America united Tuesday in grief at the news that country music legend Dolly Parton had died.

The singer, long heralded as one of the few celebrities that everybody loved, was mourned by figures across the entertainment world, and by politicians on both sides of the political spectrum.

President Donald Trump announced the lowering of flags across the United States for a week for Parton, calling her death a “true loss for millions of people.”

“Very sad to report that Dolly Parton, one of the greatest Country singers, and far beyond, EVER, has just passed away,” Trump posted on his Truth Social network. “There has never been anyone like her, and never will.”

Trump appointee, US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, an evangelical pastor and avid musician, said news of Parton’s death made him “genuinely sad.”

“I interviewed @DollyParton for my TV show & she was the gracious & beautiful lady in person as she was on stage or screen. Humble, kind, & generous. One of a kind!”

Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer wrote simply: “Rest in peace, Dolly Parton — a true legend and force for good.  May her memory be a blessing.”

Country star Kacey Musgraves took to X to mourn the passing of  a legend of the genre.

“This really really hurts,” she wrote. “The world feels a lot less sparkly all of a sudden.”

Actor and “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane wrote on X that “the world is a dimmer place without her.”

“I had the extraordinary experience of working with her on ‘The Orville,’ and it was a joy to discover that she really was exactly the person we all hoped she was,” he wrote on X.

“Her kindness, generosity, and authenticity were evident from moment one, and the benign yet assured command she maintained over her empire was obvious from the genuine love and trust you could see from everyone who worked for her.”

Lily Tomlin, Parton’s co-star in the 1980 film “9 to 5” posted a black and white picture of the two of them decades earlier, captioning it simply: “No words”.