Charlamagne tha God says he’s ‘sick’ of celebrities making Dolly Parton’s death about themselves
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Dolly Parton’s death prompted tributes from celebrities and fans, while Charlamagne tha God criticized those who focused on personal interactions with the country music icon.
Parton's representatives confirmed that she had been facing cancer, though the specific type was not disclosed at the time of her death. Her death marked the loss of one of the most recognizable and influential figures in American entertainment after a career spanning more than six decades.
Charlamagne tha God calls out personal tributes following Dolly Parton’s death
On Wednesday’s episode of ‘The Breakfast Club,’ co-host Loren LoRosa brought up Parton’s death and the celebrities who paid tribute to her legacy online. Charlamagne said he was “sick of people making people's death about them,” arguing that tributes often focused on personal interactions with the deceased rather than celebrating the person and their life.
LoRosa pushed back, saying she appreciated learning more about Parton and her work throughout her six-decade-long career. She asked whether online tributes could help show the character of a person that others might not have known personally.
Charlamagne responded that he had never interacted with Parton either, but was already aware of her charity work, particularly in and around Nashville. He also argued that there had already been plenty of testimonies about her character, generosity and charity while she was alive.
However, he acknowledged that he comes from a different generation than LoRosa, who is 15 years his junior. He ultimately mourned Parton’s death and described her as an artist who transcended every demographic.
“There's stars that have their niche followings, but then there's stars that transcend every race, every demographic, every age,” he said while adding, “Dolly Parton was one of those stars.” The podcast also discussed tributes from colleagues and people inspired by her, including Dionne Warwick, Reba McEntire and Beyonce.
Dolly Parton’s Broadway musical will continue after her death
Parton spent years preparing to tell her life story on stage, and that story will now reach Broadway without her. Following her death on August 25, producers of ‘DOLLY: A True Original Musical’ confirmed that the autobiographical production will proceed with its planned run and open on what would have been Parton’s 81st birthday.
“As was Dolly’s wish,” the production said in a statement, previews will begin December 7 at the St. James Theatre in New York City, with the opening set for January 19, 2027. The musical was a deeply personal project for Parton.
She co-wrote the book with Maria S Schlatter. She assembled a score featuring songs from her decades-spanning catalog, including ‘I Will Always Love You,’ ‘Jolene,’ ‘Coat of Many Colors’ and ‘9 to 5,’ alongside new material written specifically for the stage.
The production traces Parton’s journey from her childhood in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee to her rise as one of the world’s most beloved entertainers. The Grammy winner was closely involved in developing the musical and deliberately waited until she was ready to revisit the obstacles she had faced.
“It’s got a lot of good country music in it, a lot of good country stories, but it also has a lot of the big orchestration, all the things that I’ve always dreamed about, having my songs and stories on stage and telling my life story,” Parton said in a 2025 interview.
