Dolly Parton, who has died, was widely remembered as one of the few American public figures able to unite people across a bitterly polarised political divide. Her lifelong refusal to align with either major party, combined with a fiercely maintained independence, earned her admiration from across the spectrum, from evangelicals to drag queens, and tributes following her death came from both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

A YouGov poll found Parton had a net approval rating of 65%, far ahead of figures such as Barack Obama (14%), Taylor Swift (3%), Donald Trump (-19%) and Joe Biden (-18%). She twice turned down the Presidential Medal of Freedom, from both Trump and Biden, to avoid appearing to favour either, and though she avoided partisan politics she was not apolitical, speaking out on women's rights, LGBTQ equality and Black Lives Matter, while starring alongside the politically divisive Jane Fonda in 1980's 9 to 5.