Stella Parton has paid tribute to her sister Dolly Parton, recalling their Tuesday morning phone calls and revealing how the country music star hoped her illness might ultimately help other people.
Dolly Parton died on Aug. 25 at the age of 80, her family said. In the days since, musicians, actors, politicians and fans have remembered the singer, songwriter and philanthropist whose career spanned decades.
In a Facebook tribute shared on Aug. 27, Stella, 77, said one of the hardest parts of losing her sister would be facing their Tuesday mornings without her.
“My big sister Dolly got her wings this past Tuesday,” Stella wrote. “If anyone gets to heaven I’m sure she made it right on time.”
The sisters grew up in a family of 12 children in the mountains of East Tennessee, where music was a part of everyday life. Several of the siblings went on to work in music, including Stella, who became a country singer and songwriter.
Their regular phone calls remained a constant. Stella recalled that the two would rise early, drink coffee, exchange family gossip and make plans.
“We would catch up on gossip, as sisters do, and drink coffee and make plans as it has always been our way,” she wrote.
Stella also shared what she said was a revealing conversation about Dolly’s approach to her illness.
According to Stella, Dolly had told her that if doctors reached a point where there was no hope for her, she would still be willing to try experimental treatments if they could potentially help other people in the future.
“My sister was always thinking of others,” Stella wrote.
She described Dolly as “one of the most generous, thoughtful and kind people I’ve ever known” and said the person the public saw was consistent with the sister she knew privately.
Stella also remembered Dolly’s humor and her tendency to brush aside complaints about other people.
When Stella criticized or complained about someone, she recalled, Dolly would tell her they had “more important things to do” than worry about them.
“She was right and she proved it everyday,” Stella wrote.
Dolly’s death has prompted tributes across the entertainment industry and beyond, reflecting the reach of a career built not only on music but also on philanthropy and public service.
For Stella, however, the loss is also much more personal.
“My Tuesday morning coffee time will never be the same,” she wrote, while saying her sister’s “love, respect and goodness will remain.”
Dolly, she added, “left the world a better place by being in it.”
“Let’s follow her example.”
