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Parton insisted she 'wasn't finished' in final call

By AAP Newswire

Aug 28, 2026

A woman poses for a photo near a mural of Dolly Parton in Nashville — Fans around the world have been mourning the death of country music legend Dolly Parton. -AP

Dolly Parton insisted she was not "finished" working in a heartbreaking final phone call with her friend Lainey Wilson.

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The country music legend died on Tuesday aged 80 after a secret battle with cancer, and now her pal Wilson has revealed the pair spoke for the last time just weeks before Parton's death and the superstar offered advice on her career as well as her marriage to Devlin "Duck" Hodges.

In a post on Instagram, Wilson shared a picture of the two country singers together and wrote: "My Dolly. I felt like you were my friend before we even met ... You made everybody feel that way.

"But once we became friends, boy did we have a lot to talk about ... I sure am glad you called a couple of weeks ago. We got to talk about the business, the sacrifice, how special (Dolly's late husband) Carl Dean was to you and how important Duck is to me ... "

Wilson went on to explain Parton felt as if she had more to achieve, adding: "We talked about how we both feel like we were called into this business and you told me you felt like you weren't finished.

"Well my friend, you are not. The kind of love and light you shined in your lifetime is the kind that never goes away. I am thankful the Lord gave you a gift, you decided to share it, and the Lord decided to share you with us."

"I can't wait to see you again and I know when I hug your neck in heaven someday you are still gonna be saying: 'Don't mess up hair, Lainey girl.'

"I will always love you, my friend."