“The World Feels a Lot Less Sparkly”: Kacey Musgraves’ Bittersweet Reaction to Dolly Parton’s Death Is Exactly What We’re All Feeling

Dolly Parton has passed away, according to a video announcement made by her nephew, Bryan Seaver.

Celebrities have been quick to respond to the news online, with everyone from Reba McEntire to Donald Trump posting some kind of tribute. Kacey Musgraves, who has been a longtime admirer of the country star, also had a thing or two to say on X.

“Dolly. This really really hurts,” Musgraves wrote on the platform. “The world feels a lot less sparkly all of a sudden.”

Then, in a separate post, she commented on the passing of Carl Dean, Parton’s husband of nearly 60 years, who passed away in March 2025.

“So glad she’s with her Carl Dean,” she wrote. “No one talk to me today.”

“I Really Love Her So Much”: Musgraves Talks About Parton’s Influence on Her

In an interview with Rolling Stone in 2021, Musgraves cited Parton as one of her heroes and shared a fun memory with the country star.

“I was presenting an award to her, and she was super gracious in letting me come into her personal closet,” Musgraves recalled. “She has this amazing warehouse that has — not kidding — every single piece of clothing, jewelry, shoes, everything that she’s ever worn since 1967. They’ve kept everything, they’ve archived everything, and every single thing has a label and a photo of her in it. When she wore it, what she wore it for — it’s like a freakin’ museum.”

Musgraves performed Parton’s iconic song “Here You Come Again” with Parton and Katy Perry at the 2019 MusiCares Person of the Year ceremony. Prior, Musgraves also spoke to Billboard about how the singer has influenced her.

“How has she not influenced my life and career?” she said. “I mean, let’s be honest. She’s just the ultimate songwriter. My favorite thing about Dolly is that she has all these components perfectly melded together: beauty, sex appeal, brains, wit, humor. Beautiful songwriting. Meaningful songwriting. No apologies for who she is. LGBTQ advocate, long before it was even a thing, or trendy, or whatever.”

“She’s fearless, and I admire her spirit a lot,” Musgraves continued. “She’s very kind, and she’s very present when you’re talking to her. I really love her so much.”

Photo by: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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