Dolly Parton, Queen of Country, dies at 80
Dolly Parton has died. The country songwriter, Dollywood founder & philanthropist who wrote ‘Jolene’ and ‘I Will Always Love You’ was 80.
Dolly Parton was on tour when there was a knock on the door.
“Do you remember me?” asked a man when she opened it. “I’m the little boy that used to sit at your feet when my mom was (working).”
It was the son of one of Parton’s dressmakers, who used to accompany his mom to fittings, all grown up now.
Keanu Reeves.
“Of course I knew he had become a star but it didn’t connect to me that that was who that was,” Parton recalled during a 2023 appearance on “The Drew Barrymore Show.”
Reeves’ mother, costume designer Patricia Taylor, worked with Parton during the 1970s. The looks she created included Parton’s 1978 “Playboy” cover.
Parton died Aug. 25, 2026 at 80.
“I remember Keanu when he was just little, she would bring him over to my house when we were fitting,” Parton told Barrymore.
Parton and Reeves’ reunion happened years ago when she was “doing a show somewhere,” she told Barrymore during the 2023 appearance.
“He’s great,” Parton said. He’s the sweetest guy.”
Taylor donated some of the dresses she created for Parton to the Country Music Hall of Fame’s archives in Nashville. The Tennessean happened to be visiting the archives months ago when the stunning long gowns arrived, and spoke to Reeves ahead of a recent show here. It’s an honor for his mom’s work to be part of the hall of fame’s collection now, he said.
“She is very happy they are going to be taken care of and have the chance to be seen,” Reeves told The Tennessean. “She loved working with Dolly and designing and making these costume dresses for her. It’s very cool.”
Reeves’ band, Dogstar, performed at the Ryman Auditorium on Aug. 5.
The pieces Taylor designed for Parton are not yet on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame, but a number of Parton’s other outfits and items are.
“Dolly Parton’s legacy is not celebrity, but humanity,” CEO Kyle Young said in a statement.
“She was a champion of equality and literacy. She was a picture of dignity, even when dressed outrageously. “Anyone who seeks to be more like Dolly is on the right track, but they’ll never get to the finish line.
“She came from poverty to become the most important native of Tennessee. She shared her fortunes for the good of all of us, and shared her soul in every note she sang.”
To learn more, visit countrymusichalloffame.org.
Audrey Gibbs is a music journalist at The Tennessean. You can reach her at agibbs@tennessean.com.