Dolly Parton and Lainey Wilson were close friends for almost three years. Notably, the singer paid tribute to Parton on Instagram, recalling their final phone call.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleDolly Parton’s sudden demise on August 25, 2026, at the age of 80 led to a lineup of tributes on social media. The singer and actress released 49 albums over the years, starting with Hello, I’m Dolly, in 1967. She collaborated with record labels such as RCA, Columbia, Warner Bros, and more. She was also a recipient of 11 Grammy Awards and was nominated for 55 Grammys.
Dolly Parton shared a close friendship with many personalities from the music and entertainment industry. One of them was Lainey Wilson, who spoke about Dolly on multiple occasions. The duo’s friendship has once again grabbed attention as Lainey paid tribute to Dolly on social media. She even opened up about her final call with Dolly.
Dolly Parton and Lainey Wilson’s friendship dates back to 2023 when they first met at the Academy of Country Music Awards. Wilson received the Female Artist of the Year award from Parton at that time.
While appearing on Nova 96.9's Ricki-Lee & Tim on February 16, 2025, Lainey Wilson spoke about her growing connection with the country icon, calling the relationship both surreal and deeply meaningful. Wilson also praised Parton not only as a performer but as a powerful businesswoman and trailblazer in the industry. She said Parton had continued to pave the way and described her as an incredible human and businesswoman who had everything figured out.
During a March 2024 appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Lainey Wilson also discussed her admiration for Dolly Parton. Clarkson described Parton as kind, cool, and genuine, adding that she was even better in person than on television and noting how surprisingly nice she was, despite already seeming great on TV. Wilson responded by saying that she felt the same way about her and said it was really cool to see that people could be as kind as they were talented. She further stated:
“Even before I knew her, before I've gotten to know her at all. The amount that she taught from the way she carried herself. She's not scared to go do it all, to straddle that line ... She's this little girl from this little town where probably nobody ever left. I just look up to her a whole lot, I think she's the best.”
Clarkson then shared a detail about Parton's old-school way of communicating that further highlighted her iconic status. She said she knew she would love Parton when she learned that Parton contacted people via fax machine, recalling her surprise at hearing that she did not share a phone number but had a fax machine instead and referenced her as "Miss 9 to 5."
On August 27, 2026, Lainey Wilson shared an Instagram post dedicated to Dolly Parton. Wilson added a lineup of pictures, featuring the moments she shared with the late singer. Lainey wrote in the caption that Dolly became her friend before they met each other, adding that they had a lot to talk about when they became close at one point. She further stated:
“I sure am glad you called a couple of weeks ago. We got to talk about the business, the sacrifice, how special Carl Dean was to you and how important Duck is to me.. you told me that “it’s all great and stuff that Duck lets you be you, but you better make sure you let Duck be himself too.” You also told me to take my time reading the book of Revelation and that I might need to go on back to Psalms for a minute to catch my breath.”
Lainey expressed gratitude for the fact that the Lord gave a gift to Dolly Parton and she shared it with everyone. Lainey ended by saying that she cannot wait to see her again.
What are your thoughts about Lainey Wilson and Dolly Parton’s friendship? Let us know.
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