Musician Brandi Carlile paid tribute to Dolly Parton following the country legend's death on Tuesday at the age of 80 after a brief battle with cancer. In an Instagram post, Carlile praised Parton for quietly accepting her as a gay woman long before it was expected of a public figure, and for consistently steering public commentary towards "love and mercy" rather than division, calling it emblematic of Parton's steadfast acceptance of others.

Carlile recalled performing "I Will Always Love You" alongside Parton at the 2019 Newport Folk Festival with her Highwomen bandmates, and described being struck by footage of Parton's 2014 Glastonbury set, where 200,000 people responded to her call for an "amen". She also revealed a more personal memory of Parton taking her face in her hands to pray over her, saying she had sensed Parton's death was near in the days beforehand. Carlile's tribute joined an outpouring from other artists, including Shania Twain, Eminem, Jack White and Kacey Musgraves.