Dolly Parton, the iconic country singer and philanthropist, died at age 80 on August 25, prompting an outpouring of tributes and official honors across the United States.
President Donald Trump ordered American flags to be lowered to half-staff across the nation in her honor, as reported by multiple sources. In response, governors in at least three states issued their own proclamations aligning with the federal directive.
State Honors
Alabama: Governor Kay Ivey ordered flags lowered to half-staff across the state at 6 p.m. on August 25, and they will remain lowered through sunset on September 1. Ivey said, "Dolly Parton literally lived the life of the classic American success story." She added, "In 'Coat of Many Colors' fashion, Dolly was born one of 12 children in a one-room house without electricity. She was destined for a stellar career at a very early age."
Michigan: Governor Gretchen Whitmer ordered flags lowered at 6 p.m. on August 25, with a return to full staff at sunset on September 1. Whitmer said, "Dolly Parton represents the best of America's values. Her empathy, grit, and spirit define what a star can be in this country." She also highlighted Parton's literacy work, noting, "Her legacy is embodied by her incredible commitment to literacy that has helped so many Michigan kids read."
Virginia: Governor Spanberger announced that flags across the Commonwealth will be lowered to half-staff for a week, from 6 p.m. on August 25 until sunset on September 1. Spanberger said, "We honor Dolly Parton not only for her extraordinary contributions to music and culture, but also for her enduring commitment to children throughout the Commonwealth." She added, "Through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, she has helped foster a lifelong love of reading among our youngest Virginians."
Tributes and Legacy
Parton died peacefully in Nashville, Tennessee, according to a statement on her official social media accounts. She was widely known as the "Queen of Country" and built a career spanning seven decades, recording dozens of top ten hits and appearing in films including "9 to 5" and "Steel Magnolias." She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1995, a book-gifting program that mails free books to children from birth to age five. Reports differ on the exact number of books distributed: one source states the program has donated 332,411,218 books to children in the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Republic of Ireland since its start 31 years ago, while another reports more than 300 million books across multiple countries. The program is widely credited with fostering a love of reading among young children.
Her connection to Oregon was also noted: Parton performed at the Oregon State Fair in Salem in 1990 for the event's 125th anniversary. She joked about donating her $50,000 concert fee to Willamette University, where she also performed twice in the '80s. "I'd like to have kept the money," she told the crowd. "You know it costs a lot to make a person look this cheap."
In 1972, Parton performed at the Lane County Fairgrounds on tour with Porter Wagoner and The Wagonmasters. The crowd of 1,500 stood and clapped after her performance of "Coat of Many Colors," which Parton told the Register-Guard was the first time it had happened to her. The standing ovation brought her to tears.
The flag-lowering honors reflect Parton's enduring impact on American music and culture, as well as her philanthropic legacy, particularly through the Imagination Library, which has touched millions of children's lives.