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Sabrina Carpenter is paying tribute to idol Dolly Parton following her death on Tuesday, Aug. 25.
Parton died after a “brief battle with cancer,” a representative for Parton said in a statement to PEOPLE. She had been dealing with kidney and autoimmune issues, and died four days after she was admitted to a Nashville-area hospital.
Carpenter, 27, penned a heartfelt message in honor of the music legend, with whom she collaborated in February 2025 on a collaborative rendition of Carpenter’s 2024 song “Please Please Please.”
The Grammy winner began her Instagram post recalling first meeting the Queen of Country, writing, “The only thing I could say after we first met was ‘she really is an angel walking the earth’ and ‘we look like we could be sisters!’ ”
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“I will cherish our laughter and conversations, and I will keep your wisdom, your playful outlook on life, and perfect sense of humor in my pocket for the rainy days,” Carpenter wrote.
“There will never be another you and how lucky are we all to have experienced your singular magic as well as your once in a lifetime voice, songs, and heart,” she continued.
“Your light will be something the world will search forever to find again 🦋🦋🦋,” Carpenter concluded. “I will always love you.”
After the pair released the duet, Carpenter thanked the country star for her involvement and shared behind-the-scenes photos from the music video.
“I am so honored to have one of my biggest idols on a song that means so much to me,” Carpenter wrote on Instagram. “Love you forever @dollyparton 🤍🦋.”
The following month, Parton opened up about her decision to collaborate with the young musician, telling Knox News that she had one rule before agreeing to join.
“I told her, I said, ‘Now, I don’t cuss,’ ” the “9 to 5” singer said. “‘I don’t make fun of Jesus. I don’t talk bad about God, and I don’t say dirty words on camera, but known to if I get mad enough.’ ”
As a result, Carpenter obeyed her wishes and removed the “motherf—er” from the chorus and switched it to “I beg you, don’t embarrass me like the others.”
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Carpenter is one of several stars who have paid tribute to Parton following the news of her death. Paul McCartney shared a touching tribute, also recalling the first time he met her, in 1974. “She was so bubbly and full of life it is difficult to take in the news that she has passed,” McCartney, 84, wrote.
Rapper Eminem expressed his admiration and sorrow at never getting to meet her. Although both were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November 2022, the pair never met, but she wrote him a note celebrating his accomplishment. The rapper said the letter “really had an impact” on him, adding, “She definitely didn’t have to take the time to do it.”
Parton’s country music peers also paid tribute, including Blake Shelton, Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris, Reba McEntire, Keith Urban, Natalie Hemby, Jennifer Nettles and many more.
Her Steel Magnolias costars Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine and Sally Field also penned emotional tributes, as well as her friends Jane Fonda, Carol Burnett and Billy Ray Cyrus.