Reba McEntire says Dolly Parton called her in late July, about a month before Parton’s death, and she missed the call. McEntire told Entertainment Tonight, in an interview shared Friday, that she tried repeatedly to reach Parton back but never connected with her again.
“She did call me the last of July, and I was in a meeting and I missed her call,” McEntire said. “I tried to get back in touch with her, and I couldn’t. Never made connection.”
McEntire, 71, said that when she learned “Dolly’s gone” on Aug. 25, her first thought was, “I’ll never know why she called me.” She said she still holds out hope she’ll “find out one day.”
Parton died Aug. 25 at age 80. Her representatives confirmed the same day that she had been secretly fighting cancer, saying in a statement to Page Six that “after bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.” They did not specify the type of cancer.
Earlier this month, McEntire paid tribute to Parton at the Emmy Awards, performing Parton’s song “Appalachian Memories” in a sparkling white dress with a live symphony backing her.
After Parton’s death, McEntire posted a tribute on social media. “Well, I just got the news that my buddy Dolly passed onto the higher and greater side,” she wrote. “Dolly, thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth. Your love, your music and you gave so much with your huge huge heart. There will never ever be another you. We will remember and cherish every memory and every note you ever played and sang.”
She added that Parton was “gonna have a blast in heaven singing all her favorite songs with all her family and friends who have gone on before her,” and said she’d “never forget” the first time they met or their last conversation. “I hold it with love in my heart,” she said.
In the Entertainment Tonight interview, McEntire called that last conversation with Parton “really special” and said she “didn’t want to let her go” even though she knew Parton was busy.
Parton was buried days after her death at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville, next to her late husband, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025 at age 82.
Since Parton’s death, her sisters Freida and Stella have addressed online rumors of a family feud, and her nephew and former head of security, Bryan Seaver, was fired. Parton’s longtime manager, Danny Nozell, has filed a lawsuit against Seaver alleging extortion attempts and threats. Sources close to the situation have told Page Six they fear Nozell simply “wants the family out of the picture.”
