Actor Ricky Schroder, who worked closely with Parton on a television film inspired by her childhood, honored the country legend while also pointing out two areas where they disagreed. That decision quickly overshadowed the rest of his message.
Parton died on August 25 at 80, surrounded by loved ones. Her representatives remembered her as someone who spent decades bringing “joy, laughter, hope and integrity” into the lives of others.
Her legacy stretched well beyond music. Through the Imagination Library, Parton helped distribute hundreds of millions of free books to children, while her $1 million donation to Vanderbilt University Medical Center supported COVID-19 research connected with development of the Moderna vaccine.
Those same causes soon became central to the debate surrounding Schroder’s tribute.
Schroder played Parton’s father in the 2015 television movie Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors, a deeply personal project based on the singer’s childhood in rural Tennessee.
Because of that connection, many fans expected his farewell to focus on their time working together.
Instead, Schroder wrote:
“I didn’t agree with her advocating for Transgender & Covid Vaccine support…but Loved her anyway. Thank you for choosing me, Dolly, to be your Movie Daddy.”
Almost immediately, people began questioning why he had chosen a memorial post to emphasize disagreements with someone who had just died.
One commenter called the phrase “I loved her anyway” a strange way to remember Parton.
Another wrote simply:
“Wow… you should have said nothing.”
Others questioned why the tribute needed to mention politics or cultural disagreements at all.
One person argued that Schroder had managed to introduce negativity into what had otherwise been an almost universally affectionate response to Parton’s death.
But not everyone criticized him.
Several commenters said Parton herself was known for accepting people who held different beliefs.
One supporter wrote that she would likely have been comfortable with Schroder disagreeing with her, while another pointed to Parton’s long-standing reputation for refusing to judge others.
That disagreement among commenters reflected something central to Parton’s public image: her unusually broad appeal.
Long before many major country stars spoke openly about the subject, she made clear that she did not believe someone’s sexuality should determine how they were treated.
In a 1984 interview, Parton discussed her gay following and explained that many of her friends were gay.
Her philosophy was straightforward: people were people, and she wasn’t interested in judging what others did in their private lives.
That attitude remained remarkably consistent throughout her career.
For some readers, that history made Schroder’s decision to mention transgender issues in his tribute especially uncomfortable.
Brandi Carlile Remembers Dolly’s Acceptance
Brandi Carlile offered an almost opposite perspective in her own remembrance.
Carlile wrote that she loved Parton even before the two knew each other personally because Parton had publicly accepted gay people during a period when there was little professional incentive for a country star of her stature to do so.
Carlile remembered Parton as generous, exceptionally intelligent, funny and compassionate.
She also praised Parton for resisting pressure to comment on every political controversy.
Instead, Carlile said, Parton usually chose moments where she believed her words could bring “love and mercy” to real people.
That ability to remain compassionate without becoming consumed by cultural battles was one of the qualities many tributes highlighted.
And Schroder’s controversial farewell represented only one small part of an enormous flood of messages.
Presidents Remember Dolly Parton
Barack Obama reflected on the scale of Parton’s achievements, noting her journey from an impoverished Tennessee childhood to international superstardom.
He highlighted her Grammy Awards, television success, literacy work and support for vaccine research while sending condolences to her family and enormous fan base.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris similarly described Parton as an American icon.
Among Parton’s many achievements, Harris specifically praised the Imagination Library, which has distributed hundreds of millions of books to children.
Former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush remembered Parton as both an extraordinary entertainer and an exceptional person.
Bush praised her contributions to literacy, health and community programs while calling her a talented and hardworking American.
Country Music Says Goodbye to One of Its Greatest Stars
The country-music community responded with particularly emotional messages.
Reba McEntire remembered Parton as her “buddy” and reflected on both their first meeting and final conversation.
She thanked Parton for everything she had given from her enormous heart and imagined her reunited in heaven with loved ones who had died before her.
Tim McGraw called Parton the blueprint for entertainers who followed.
He praised her kindness, humor and grace and admitted that he struggled to keep from crying as news of her death spread.
Trisha Yearwood suggested fans honor Parton by asking themselves one question:
“What Would Dolly Do?”
She said Parton “walked the walk,” making her values visible through the way she actually lived.
Wynonna Judd’s tribute was especially personal.
She remembered Parton supporting her following the death of her mother, Naomi Judd, and said Parton had become family.
Blake Shelton similarly emphasized that the Dolly people saw publicly was essentially the same woman he encountered privately.
He remembered her as loving, funny and comforting — almost like the closest member of someone’s family.
Billy Ray Cyrus Shares Dolly’s Final Message
Billy Ray Cyrus reached back more than three decades when remembering his longtime friend.
He recalled entering Parton’s dressing room in 1992 to apologize after tabloids falsely suggested the two were having an affair.
According to Billy Ray, Parton simply winked and replied:
“Honey, this trash sells records!”
That response became one of his favorite memories of her humor.
His tribute then became far more emotional.
Billy Ray revealed that Parton had recently sent him a message telling him she loved him “with her whole heart.”
He wrote that he would always love her exactly the same way.
Hollywood Remembers the Woman Behind the Rhinestones
Jamie Lee Curtis reflected on Parton’s courage and singled out “I Will Always Love You” as an example of her ability to leave something behind with gratitude rather than bitterness.
Anne Hathaway imagined heaven welcoming one of its own back, writing that Parton had left behind enough songs, stories, performances and jokes for generations.
Katy Perry remembered Parton as someone who spent her career defying stereotypes.
She also recalled once hoping Parton would join her during a Super Bowl performance, even imagining her emerging from a giant rhinestone cowboy boot.
When Parton couldn’t participate, Perry said she still sent a handwritten message to her team.
Goldie Hawn remembered being struck by Parton’s radiant personality from the first time they met.
Oprah Winfrey recalled appearing with her on Dolly while the two wore Bob Mackie gowns and laughed together.
For Winfrey, Parton’s life was the story of a girl from the Smoky Mountains dreaming far beyond her circumstances — and then somehow building an existence bigger than even she could have imagined.
Jane Fonda’s Deeply Personal Goodbye
Jane Fonda, Parton’s longtime friend and 9 to 5 co-star, shared one of the most intimate tributes.
Fonda described Parton as powerful, generous, playful and deeply thoughtful.
She remembered a woman capable of serious insight one minute and outrageous humor the next.
One particularly colorful memory involved Parton apparently mooning Kenny Rogers’ home from a car window.
Yet beneath the jokes, Fonda emphasized Parton’s extraordinary empathy.
She also directly addressed Dolly’s gay and transgender fans, telling them:
“I want you to know that she loved you.”
Rather than simply mourning, Fonda encouraged people to celebrate the energy and generosity Parton brought into the world.
Carrie Underwood’s Tribute Leaves Fans in Tears
Among the thousands of tributes, Carrie Underwood’s message struck an especially powerful chord with fans.
Underwood began by rejecting the idea that Parton was simply gone.
“She’s not gone. I know exactly where she is.”
She described Parton as the embodiment of faith, grace, talent, beauty and humor.
Underwood also emphasized the remarkable affection Parton inspired across cultural and political boundaries.
“She was probably the one person on planet Earth that everyone loved and could agree on.”
Then came the line that moved many fans most:
“It’s alright to be sad that this world lost a legend, but heaven gained an angel. Well done, good and faithful Dolly. Welcome home.”
The comments beneath Underwood’s message quickly filled with people saying they were crying.
Some described it as the most beautiful Parton tribute they had seen.
Others said Underwood had managed to capture exactly what they themselves were struggling to express.
One fan connected the farewell to “When I Get Where I’m Going,” Parton’s duet with Brad Paisley, writing simply:
“She got there.”
Barbra Streisand’s Brief Message Gets a Very Different Reaction
While Underwood was praised for writing at length, Barbra Streisand attracted attention for doing almost the opposite.
Her tribute was short:
“So sorry to hear about Dolly – she was a true force of nature. May she rest in peace.”
Some followers thought the message was surprisingly brief for such an enormous cultural loss.
One commenter complained that Streisand could have written more.
Others immediately defended her, arguing that celebrities shouldn’t be expected to manufacture intimate memories about people they were not particularly close to.
One person noted that Streisand’s concise message may actually have been more authentic than pretending to have shared a deeper relationship with Parton than she did.
The debate showed how differently people respond to grief — and how closely celebrity memorials are scrutinized after the death of someone as universally loved as Dolly Parton.
One Woman, Thousands of Different Goodbyes
The tributes varied dramatically.
Some were deeply religious.
Others were funny.
Some focused on music, while others remembered Parton’s philanthropy, LGBTQ+ acceptance, literacy work or private acts of kindness.
Carrie Underwood wrote a farewell that fans called nearly perfect.
Barbra Streisand kept hers to a few lines.
Ricky Schroder attempted to express affection despite disagreement and instead found himself at the center of controversy.
Taken together, however, the reactions reveal just how unusual Parton’s place in American culture had become.
She belonged to country music, but not exclusively.
She was loved in Hollywood, Nashville, politics, LGBTQ+ communities, churches and classrooms filled with children receiving their first free books.
And perhaps that is why people have reacted so strongly not only to her death, but also to the way others have chosen to remember her.
Dolly Parton spent decades preaching acceptance without surrendering her own identity.
Now, even the vastly different ways people are saying goodbye demonstrate the extraordinary range of lives she touched.