After Parton’s death, fans revisited the tribute video and posted comments. One expressed gratitude that Parton had received an outstanding tribute during her lifetime. Another wrote that no previous death of a celebrity—whether an actor, musician or writer—had brought the commenter to tears until hers.

Another notable appearance paired Parton with Rogers for their final performance together of “Islands in the Stream.” They reunited onstage in Nashville for Kenny Rogers: All In for the Gambler on October 25, 2017. The farewell concert was part of Rogers’ final tour. Their friendship and their shared voices made the performance joyful to watch.

Parton died on August 25, 2026, following a brief fight with cancer. She was 80. Referred to as the Queen of Country, she had sales of 100 million records and ranked among the best-selling musical artists in history. Her legacy was characterized as comparable in scale to Tennessee’s mountains.

Many Parton hits were written entirely by her. The Kennedy Center program included three such compositions: the song performed by Krauss, the ballad sung by Gill and the autobiographical number presented acoustically by Twain.