Following Dolly Parton's death at the age of 80, directors, country music peers and media figures have paid tribute to the comedic wit she cultivated alongside her music career, crediting her self-deprecating humour with helping her break Hollywood stereotypes while staying true to her Tennessee roots. Those who worked with her recall a performer who deliberately turned her larger-than-life image, big hair, exaggerated figure and outspoken persona, into a source of comedy rather than letting critics mock her first, a skill she honed for years before becoming a global star.

Parton refined her comic timing on "The Porter Wagoner Show" between 1967 and 1974, before hosting her own variety programme "Dolly" from 1976, and went on to star in comedy films including "9 to 5" and 1992's "Straight Talk". Country Music Hall of Famer Ray Stevens, who produced her earliest Nashville recordings in 1965, said the young performer he knew had not yet developed the persona audiences would later love, but understood the tradition of outrageous country comedy exemplified by acts such as Minnie Pearl. Director Barnet Kellman, who worked with her on "Straight Talk", said Parton did not merely go along with jokes about her image but actively designed them, using her intelligence to explain and control how her look and character affected audiences.