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Taylor Swift has paid an emotional tribute to Dolly Parton, who passed away at the age of 80 after a brief battle with cancer.
Taylor Swift issues emotional statement after Dolly Parton's death
In a statement to Page Six, Taylor noted, "A world without Dolly doesn't feel possible, real, or right."
"But because of the eternally generous way she spent her time on this earth and the countless lives she changed for the better, her legacy will be an everlasting one."
She added, "Dolly gave us someone to look up to while encouraging us to be who we are as individuals. Somehow she was able to give us her lessons about the world gently and honestly, simultaneously, and oftentimes hilariously."
Taylor went on to praise the 9 to 5 crooner for being "true grace and true grit, all in one dazzling person," adding that "she possessed the softest heart when it came to the struggles of others, and a backbone of steel to defend her own self worth as an artist".
"Along with her other fans, I am so grateful for all of it," she continued.
The statement noted, "For the melodies and lyrics she wrote that thawed even the coldest hearts. For the millions of books she provided children all over the world so that they might fall in love with stories the way she did. For the tightropes she walked so that young girls like me could grow up dreaming of joining the circus too."
Taylor concluded her message, saying, "Dolly, I'll think of you each step of the way."
The Jolene hitmaker's nephew, Bryan Seaver, confirmed her passing in an Instagram video shared earlier in the day.
Over the years, Dolly and Taylor had publicly supported and praised each other, although they never had the chance to collaborate.
In 2010, after Taylor became the youngest-ever CMA Entertainer of the Year at 19 at the 2009 awards, Dolly was quick to praise the rising country singer as "a great role model for young people".
"I say, yay, Taylor Swift. I think she is a smart, beautiful girl. I think she’s making all the right moves," Dolly told CNN's Larry King.
Dolly Parton teases Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce about their first born
In July, ahead of their star-studded wedding, Taylor and Travis donated $2 million to the children’s literacy programme, which Dolly Parton founded in 1995.
"Hey, when you have your firstborn, can I have it? Because that is gonna be one special baby!" Dolly joked in a video message thanking the pair.
Notably, The Imagination Library has distributed over 300 million books since its launch.
