Reba McEntire has revealed that her longtime friend Dolly Parton tried to reach her by phone shortly before Parton's death, but McEntire missed the call and never got the chance to speak with her one last time.
Parton died Aug. 25 following a "brief battle" with cancer. The two country music icons had a long history of collaboration, including a cover of "Does He Love You" that appeared on McEntire's 2021 album, as well as co-hosting the 2019 CMA Awards together. More recently, McEntire paid tribute to Parton at the Emmys with an emotional rendition of "Appalachian Memories."
Following news of Parton's passing, McEntire took to X to honor her friend. "Well, I just got the news that my buddy Dolly passed onto the higher and greater side. Dolly, thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth," she wrote. "Your love, your music and you gave so much with your huge huge heart. There will never ever be another you. We will remember and cherish every memory and every note you ever played and sang."
She continued, "Thank you, Lord, for Dolly. She's gonna have a blast in heaven singing all her favorite songs with all her family and friends who have gone on before her. I'll never forget the first time I met you and I'll never forget our last conversation. I hold it with love in my heart. I will always love you, Reba."
Photo: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
