Repair and Memorial
Dolly Parton's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has been restored, with crews repairing it on Wednesday after it was damaged in the days following her death, as reported by the New York Post. The star is now surrounded by white feathers and yellow flowers, with a butterfly placed at the center beneath Parton's name, according to the same report.
The yellow flowers are thought to pay tribute to Parton's 1989 hit "Yellow Roses" from her album "White Limozeen," as noted by American Songwriter. The butterfly, a symbol long associated with the entertainer, holds personal significance. Parton's 1974 song "Love Is Like a Butterfly" cemented the creature's place in her musical legacy, and butterflies featured prominently in her stage wardrobe and performances, according to Yahoo! Entertainment. Dollywood's logo even incorporates a butterfly-inspired design, with the "W" resembling wings.
Parton had pastel-colored butterfly tattoos, which she said covered scars. In a 2021 interview with W Magazine, she recalled chasing butterflies as a child in the Great Smoky Mountains, describing them as "colorful and gentle." She added, "I just loved them because they were colorful and gentle, and I just kind of related to them with my own personality. I don't want to hurt anybody. Didn't want to bite. Didn't want to sting, and I still don't."
Vandalism and Response
The restoration follows an incident in which the star appeared to have been vandalized. The Hollywood Historic Trust, which maintains the Walk of Fame stars, confirmed Tuesday that "it does appear the star was vandalized with scratches," as reported by Live 5 News WCSC. The trust noted that Parton's star was already on its repair list, but other stars had been prioritized because their damage was more severe.
After Parton's death on Aug. 25 at age 80 following a cancer diagnosis, fans left flowers and paid respects at the star, creating an impromptu shrine, according to the New York Post. Visitors later discovered the flowers had disappeared and scratches had been carved across Parton's name on the brass star. Ana Martinez, a spokesperson for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, told TMZ that a fan was responsible for removing the flowers and scratching the star, and that the star already had cracks and was scheduled for repairs.
The Hollywood Historic Trust expedited the replacement. "When she passed, the Hollywood Historic Trust and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce made the decision to move her repair timeline up, in order to honor her life and legacy," the trust said, as quoted by Live 5 News WCSC. "We made that decision right after she passed and were simply waiting on our permit to begin the replacement process."
A photo shared by the trust shows the replacement star being installed, surrounded by caution tape. The trust said the star will cure and be polished on Friday for fans to enjoy.
Butterfly Legacy
The butterfly motif extends beyond her music. In the weeks before her death, Parton appeared in a video promoting Dollywood's new NightFlight attraction, sporting computer-generated butterfly wings. She joked that her doctors had "clipped" her wings after preventing her from attending the event in person, as reported by the New York Post.