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Reba McEntire said Dolly Parton “looked just like an angel,” when the pair met for the first time in the ‘70s.
McEntire, 71, reflected on her decades-long friendship with Parton as she paid tribute to the late legend at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday evening (September 14). She took the stage at the Peacock Theatre with a stunning rendition of Parton’s “Appalachian Memories,” and emotionally said at the end of her performance, “I love you, Dolly, so much.”
McEntire caught up with Vogue to talk about her tributes to Parton — including wearing the “I Will Always Love You” star’s jewelry — and the friendship they shared for decades.
“The first time I was in her presence, it was September 17, 1977,” she said in her conversation with Vogue. “I was making my Grand Ole Opry debut and was supposed to sing two songs that night. They came to me and said one of my songs was going to have to be cut because Dolly Parton had just walked in the back door.
“I said, ‘Heck, you can have both of them if I can just meet Dolly!’ I will never forget her walking through in this beautiful black chiffon outfit with rhinestone butterflies. She looked just like an angel!”
Sally Field, who starred in Steel Magnolias with Parton, also remembered the beloved icon as an angel. She said before McEntire’s performance, “if there are truly angels on earth, then we just lost one: Dolly Parton. …God bless you, Dolly Parton, my friend. I am not the only one on earth that will love you forever and ever.”
Parton’s representatives said in a statement to PEOPLE on August 25, “after bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.” She was 80. Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, and her team confirmed the news first in a video and an official statement, respectively. The beloved artist has been laid to rest beside husband Carl Dean, who died in March 2025. He was 82.
The country music community and many others have shared heartfelt tributes to remember Parton. Watch McEntire’s performance here: