Variety has published an appreciation of Dolly Parton, following news of her death, marking her as, in the writer's words, the only entertainer to command something close to universal public approval across six decades. The piece, by the outlet's senior music writer and chief music critic, celebrates her rare ability to unite audiences across musical, political and cultural divides, tracing a legacy built on peerless songwriting, an unlikely but enduring Hollywood career, and decades of philanthropy alongside her country music stardom.

The tribute draws on the writer's personal encounters with Parton, including a 1987 interview around the "Trio" album with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, when she pushed back on his review and defended blending pop showbiz with her Appalachian roots. It also revisits landmark moments such as "Coat of Many Colors" and her film roles in "9 to 5" and "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas", using her own words about being a "big phony" with a genuine heart to capture the duality that made her, in the writer's assessment, both an artificial construct and an authentic folk poet.