Reba McEntire reveals she missed Dolly Parton’s final call before her death
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A month after Dolly Parton’s death at 80, Reba McEntire revealed missed her call in late July and was unable to reconnect before her passing, leaving her wondering why Parton had reached out.
The longtime friends had collaborated several times over the years, with Parton appearing on McEntire’s 'Reba' sitcom in 2005 and the pair performing 'Does He Love You' for 'McEntire’s Revived Remixed Revisited' album in 2021.
Reba McEntire recalls missing Dolly Parton’s final call
“She did call me the last of July, and I was in a meeting and I missed her call. I tried to get back in touch with her and I couldn’t; never made connection. And then when my buddy called me and said, ‘Dolly’s gone,’ I thought, ‘I’ll never know why she called me,” McEntire told Entertainment Tonight.
With a somber smile, she added, “I’ll find out one day.” Parton’s death was announced on August 25 following a “brief battle with cancer.” McEntire was among the many celebrities who remembered the country music icon on social media.
“Dolly, thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth,” McEntire wrote while adding, “Your love, your music and you gave so much with your huge huge heart. There will never ever be another you.”
She added that she would cherish every memory and every note Parton played and sang, before writing, “Thank you, Lord, for Dolly. She’s gonna have a blast in heaven singing all her favorite songs with all her family and friends who have gone on before her.”
“I’ll never forget the first time I met you and I’ll never forget our last conversation. I hold it with love in my heart. I will always love you,” she concluded.
Dolly Parton supported Reba McEntire after 1991 tragedy
Parton was also there for McEntire after eight of her bandmates were killed in a plane crash following a March 16, 1991, concert in San Diego. The musicians were Chris Austin, Kirk Cappello, Joey Cigainero, Paula Kaye Evans, Jim Hammon, Terry Jackson, Tony Saputo and Michael Thomas.
McEntire later paid tribute to them through her 'For My Broken Heart' album and a 2024 Instagram post that referenced the song’s words, “I guess the world ain’t gonna stop... for my broken heart.”
“It was really hard for me to get back onstage, but Vince Gill called and said, ‘Buddy, I’ll be there for you.’ Dolly Parton said, ‘Here, take my band,’” McEntire told Garden & Gun. She described the support as “such a gift” and said she learned how precious life is.
In 2022, McEntire also recalled Parton’s unusual communication preference. “Well, you don’t call Dolly, you fax her,” she told Apple’s Southern Accents Radio. Miley Cyrus echoed the fact in 2022, explaining that Parton still communicated through fax, with messages eventually being scanned and sent by text.
Cyrus also recalled Parton making a demo about being “super high-tech” that was recorded on a cassette, voice-memoed onto a flip phone and eventually sent to Cyrus’s iPhone.
