RICHMOND, Va. — “Country music has lost its queen, and the entertainment world has lost an icon,” says Donna Meade.
Meade has spent most of her life in the world of country music. “There’ll never be another Dolly Parton.”
A member of the Virginia Country Music Hall of Fame, Meade says Dolly was a major influence on her and so many other artists. “I loved her music. I loved her writing. It was real. Everything she said came from her heart.”
Though Meade spent more than a decade in Nashville, the two never met. “Our paths never crossed, and I never had the pleasure of meeting her.”
Still, Meade says Dolly’s impact on her and countless others is undeniable. “Dolly Parton not only ruled the world with her talent, her songwriting, her singing, and her movies, but she’ll be remembered for a lot more than that, her huge heart.”
That includes Parton’s Imagination Library, which over 31 years has gifted more than 300 million books to children in five countries. “All those millions of books, what an extraordinary person. That’s who does something like that: somebody with a heart that big.”
Like so many country artists, Meade often includes Dolly’s music in her performances.
For Meade, “Single Women” is one of her favorite songs to perform. “Single Women told the story of so many of my friends, girls I know. Dolly just didn’t tell her story. Dolly told everybody’s story.”
Dolly Parton was one of the few artists to cross so many genres and generations.
Whether on the screen or on the radio, Meade says just hearing Dolly, you knew she was something special. “She had integrity and heart and a spirit like no one else.”
For now, many say the world doesn’t seem quite as bright, but Meade believes love will eventually overcome the sadness.
“Everybody needs to have Dolly in their hearts and appreciate what she did, who she was, what she stood for, and how she contributed to this world. There’s no doubt we will all miss her, but we will always love her.”
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
-
-
Eat It, Virginia! with Scott and RobeyUntold with Catie Beck
-
-
-
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
Facebook 
TikTok 
YouTube
Blue Sky
Instagram
Threads
X
