By Page Six | Created at 2026-08-27 18:38:11 | Updated at 2026-09-04 20:13:53
1 week ago
Dolly Parton’s sister Stella revealed the late country singer wanted to use her cancer diagnosis to help others before she died.
“My sister was one of the most generous, thoughtful and kind people I’ve ever known,” Stella wrote in a Facebook tribute Thursday.
“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,” the “I Want To Hold You In My Dreams Tonight” singer, 77, added.
“My sister was always thinking of others and if you want to honor her legacy, show more kindness, lift others up and give more of your time and resources as she continued to do to the very end.”
Stella’s concluded her tribute by saying Dolly “left the world a better place by being in it.”
The singer’s tribute to the late country icon came two days after Dolly passed away. She was 80.
In a statement to Page Six, the “Jolene” singer’s family revealed she had secretly battled cancer before her death. However, Dolly’s team did not disclose the type of cancer.
The latest news on music icon Dolly Parton’s death at 80
- ‘Happy’ Dolly Parton was ‘not in pain at all’ in one of her final public appearances 2 months before death
- Dolly Parton’s shocked loved ones rushed to be by her side as health took sudden decline: report
Additionally, the “9 to 5” songstress was reportedly hospitalized at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville with “kidney and autoimmune issues” five days before she died.
Dolly will be laid to rest in “a small, private service for immediate family” in Nashville, Tennessee, TMZ reported.
Several stars have paid tribute to the Dollywood Theme Park co-founder, including Harry Styles, who honored Dolly during night one of his residency at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
“I wanna say a proper ‘thank you’ to all the musicians over the years that’ve inspired me,” the former One Direction singer, 32, said Wednesday night.
“Dolly, we love you, thank you so much,” he added.
Styles then played Dolly’s most famous song, “I Will Always Love You,” as the sold-out audience sang along and waved their illuminated phones in the air.
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