Taylor Swift Honors 'Everlasting' Dolly Parton After Country Icon's Death

Taylor Swift is honoring Dolly Parton following the country music legend's death, calling her legacy “everlasting” and remembering her as an inspiration to generations of artists.

“A world without Dolly doesn’t feel possible, real, or right,” Swift said in a statement. She praised Parton for encouraging people to be themselves while giving the world “the ultimate mystery and fantasy” alongside honesty, humor, and grace.

Swift also credited Parton with having “the softest heart” for people struggling and “a backbone of steel” when defending herself as an artist.

The tribute comes shortly after Parton personally thanked Swift and new hubby Travis Kelce for donating $2 million to her Imagination Library. Parton responded with a heartfelt video message, telling the couple she would “always love” them and jokingly asking for their firstborn child.

Swift also praised Parton's lifelong commitment to children and literacy, thanking her for providing millions of books to kids around the world ... adding “For the melodies and lyrics she wrote that thawed even the coldest hearts. Dolly, I’ll think of you each step of the way.”

As we reported, Dolly Parton’s death came after a period of health struggles that had kept the country icon largely out of the spotlight. We broke the story saying Dolly had been hospitalized in Nashville, where she died at 80 ... and later confirmed she had been battling cancer, which was ultimately the cause of her death.