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Rapper Eminem has paid tribute to country music legend Dolly Parton following her death at 80, sharing a heartfelt letter she sent him in 2022 and revealing that her words "really had an impact" on him despite the two never meeting, according to People.
Parton died on Tuesday, August 25, after a brief battle with cancer, according to a statement from her representative. She had also been dealing with kidney and autoimmune issues and was admitted to a Nashville-area hospital on August 21. Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III, shared the letter Parton sent him after they were both inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November 2022. Lionel Richie, Duran Duran, Pat Benatar, Eurythmics and Carly Simon were also inducted that year. Congratulating Eminem on the honour and his performance at the ceremony, Parton wrote, "Marshall (Eminem), Congratulations on your induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Your performance was amazing and everybody said so." "Even though I don't know a lot about rap music, I've come to know that you are the very best at it," she wrote, as per the outlet. Parton also shared a deeply personal message, telling Eminem she had "always felt some unexplained connection" to him. "I had hoped to meet you at the show but you know how nuts those things are, personally I hate 'em and I missed my chance but maybe someday we'll meet," Parton wrote, according to People. She encouraged him to continue his work, adding, "No matter how complex your world may be just know you are very special and touch people in ways you don't even know. With love and respect, Dolly Parton." Although the two never got the chance to meet, Eminem said the letter stayed with him. "She definitely didn't have to take the time to do it," he wrote, adding, "Even for a kid who mostly listened to rap music, she was an icon. A superstar in every sense," according to People. "Rest easy, Dolly. And thank you for the kind words," Eminem concluded. Parton's death has prompted tributes from several stars, including friends Jane Fonda, Carol Burnett and Reba McEntire, as well as her 'Steel Magnolias' co-stars Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine and Sally Field. Country music stars Blake Shelton, Kacey Musgraves and Maren Morris have also remembered the late singer. According to her representative, Parton died after a "brief battle with cancer" at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Centre, surrounded by her loved ones. "Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched," the representative said, according to People. The statement also highlighted Parton's philanthropic legacy, including the hundreds of millions of books distributed through her Imagination Library and her support for research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world. "Dolly's unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact," the statement said, as per the outlet. (ANI)
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