Dolly Parton’s sister shares kind gesture from late icon ahead of her death: ‘Most generous person’

“My sister was one of the most generous, thoughtful and kind people I’ve ever known,” she wrote.

“What the world saw is exactly who she was, so much so, she told me recently that if there was no hope for her, she would still allow her medical team to try experimental drugs in the hope of helping others in the future.”

Stella urged those wishing to honour her sister’s memory to “show more kindness” and “lift others up.”

The country singer-songwriter also shared cherished recollections of their longstanding Tuesday morning ritual, in which the two sisters would phone each other before dawn to share coffee and conversation.

“Being little farm girls we’ve continued to be early risers,” Stella wrote.

“As she liked to say, ‘shoot Tedda, we get more work done before the sun comes up than most folks do all day long.'”

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Those early calls were filled with gossip, plans and laughter, she said, adding: “My Tuesday morning coffee time will never be the same but her love, respect and goodness will remain.”

Stella painted a picture of her sister’s irrepressible spirit, recalling how Dolly would brush off complaints with characteristic wit: “Shoot Tedda, we’ve got more important things to do than worry about their silly a***s.”

Ms Parton passed away on Tuesday at the age of 80 following what was described as a “brief battle” with cancer.

DOLLY PARTON

Her health difficulties first became public in the autumn of 2025, when she revealed she would be unable to appear at a planned Las Vegas residency that December owing to undisclosed medical issues.

Her nephew Bryan Seaver, who also served as her head of security, broke the news of her death in an Instagram video on Tuesday.

He described the task as “an honour that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness,” adding: “But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly.”

Mr Seaver said the singer “has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens.”

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Raised in rural poverty in Tennessee as one of twelve children, Ms Parton became one of the most celebrated figures in country music history, with genre-defining songs such as Jolene, 9 To 5 and I Will Always Love You.

Her death prompted an outpouring of tributes from across the entertainment world and beyond, with Taylor Swift, her goddaughter Miley Cyrus and President Donald Trump among those paying their respects.