Why Dolly Parton crossed every divide
In a divided country, Dolly Parton won admiration from both sides. What was her secret?
CNN has apologized for mistakenly airing a photo of a Dolly Parton impersonator while covering the death of the “Queen of Country.”
During the 11 p.m. ET hour of the Aug. 25 evening broadcast of “Laura Coates Live,” a photo meant to show Parton, who died the same day at age 80, was actually of Las Vegas entertainer Kelly Vohnn.
The photo that aired during the segment was taken by Getty Images on Dec. 16, 2025, when the tribute artist attended a special screening of the “Song Sung Blue” movie at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
“We regret the error and apologize to the Parton family,” CNN said in a statement shared with Variety and the New York Post.
Vohnn addressed the mix-up in an interview with the New York Post, where she said “I started getting all these texts in from friends saying that I was on CNN, and I couldn’t believe it.”
“I was already heartbroken at losing Dolly because of how much she has given to me as a woman and an artist. But then to see these images of me on screen was just weird,” she told the outlet.
Kelly Vohnn mourns ‘an inspiration, a mentor’ and ‘a queen’
As tributes for Parton continue to pour out from some of the biggest names in music and more, Vohnn shared what the trailblazer meant to her.
Vohnn, who has long imitated Parton through her 30 years performing in Las Vegas, explained what the “9 to 5” singer meant to her in an interview with local station KSNV.
“Dolly Parton was huge inspiration in many areas, as a woman, as an aging woman. as a musician, as a performer, entertainer, writer, she proved that you could do it all,” Vohnn said. “To me, she’s the most extraordinary human in my lifetime.”
In the caption of an Aug. 26 Instagram post, she said that “Dolly was also an entrepreneur, an inspiration, a mentor, a cook, a fashionista and a queen! I put on a smiley face and then sometimes I break down. The world will miss this fabulous woman! I Will Always Love You!”
Parton died following a brief battle with cancer, her representatives confirmed to USA TODAY on Aug. 25, though they did not specify what type of cancer. While her diagnosis was not publicly revealed, she had previously opened up about health struggles since 2025.