“There Will Never Be Anyone Like Dolly”: Carrie Underwood Reflects on Dolly Parton’s Legacy With Emotional Goodbye

It’s hard to imagine a world without Dolly Parton. The country icon was more than a famed singer. She was a beacon of hope. But her stardom didn’t stop there. She used her No. 1 hits to help improve the cities around her. If that wasn’t enough, her Imagination Library gifted over 300 million books to kids around the world. Nothing short of a force in country music, Dolly spent decades proving that success meant little if she couldn’t use it to help others. And while fans continued to mourn her passing, Carrie Underwood shared an emotional goodbye to the woman she insisted could never be replaced. 

Discussing the legacy Dolly left behind, Underwood told her label, MCA, that the hitmaker was a prime example of how to be a better person. “Dolly was the perfect example of how to be. She was an incredible artist and songwriter and performer, all of those things.” She added, “She’s the kind of person that everybody loved and respected, and she always handled herself with grace. There will never be anyone like Dolly.”

[RELATED: Bobby Bones Reveals What Made Dolly Parton Unlike Anyone Else in Country Music]

Dolly Parton Set The Bar Too High

Although she treated every person with love and respect, Underwood suggested that Dolly knew how to make her voice heard. “She would always let people know, but in the nicest way. She had a way about her of being commanding and in control but also the sweetest human.”

In an industry where most celebrities fall victim to the glitz and glamour, Dolly turned that threat into a positive. Always giving back, Underwood praised her for being the gold standard for aspiring artists. “She was just a kind human in the midst of mega stardom. She’ll always just be an example to the rest of us of, you know, that’s the bar.”

According to Underwood, Dolly set the bar so high that it was nearly impossible to touch it. “We’ll never live up to the bar, but that’s the bar set at its highest.”

The country music industry might eventually find its next superstar, but Underwood suggested it would never find another Dolly. Her combination of talent, grace, and kindness simply couldn’t be duplicated. And for the world that loved her – they wouldn’t want a replacement.

(Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images)

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