Following Dolly Parton’s reported death on 25 August, US radio stations substantially increased their airplay of her music, with some temporarily devoting their schedules entirely to her catalogue and listener tributes. The response underlined Parton’s enduring cultural reach beyond country music and the personal connection many broadcasters and listeners felt with her work.

Mediabase recorded more than 13,300 spins of Parton recordings across over 930 monitored US terrestrial stations in the seven days to 27 August, compared with about 620 spins on 135 stations in the previous period. “9 to 5” led the tributes with 799 plays, ahead of “Jolene” on 725 and “I Will Always Love You” on 665, while country programmers aired 66 different Parton songs, including less frequently played tracks.