“Let’s be grateful for all that she has left us to ease our sadness now,” Fonda wrote of Parton in an Instagram tribute shared on Tuesday, Aug. 25

“One of twelve children raised in a cabin, Dolly Parton left home carrying nothing but songs to become the most beloved figure in American music. She wrote “I Will Always Love You” as a goodbye to Porter Wagoner. Today it belongs to all of us.” — via X.

Jane Fonda is encouraging Dolly Parton’s fans and loved ones to celebrate the country music icon’s legacy. Dolly Parton died on Tuesday, August 25, her family revealed in a statement. She was 80. Fonda, who starred alongside Parton in 9 to 5, shared a black-and-white photo of herself and Parton laughing together.

Born in 1946 in Tennessee, Parton wrote her first songs as a child and went on to create an empire that included hit records, Hollywood films, Dollywood theme park and a literacy program that gave away millions of books.

An Original Musical" fireside chat on January 28, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. Dolly Parton's niece revealed the reason why her aunt chose to keep her cancer diagnosis a secret before her death at 80.

Like her burial, Parton kept her health problems private before she died from cancer in a Nashville hospital on Aug. 25.