Australia Has Ground To A Halt: The Heartbreaking Dolly Parton Tributes That Have Left The Entire Nation Sobbing
Australian landmarks lit up pink and Dolly’s most iconic hits were playing in the aisles at Coles on Wednesday
Australia has shown its love for Dolly Parton after the iconic country star died.
Landmarks around the country lit up pink in honour of the ‘Jolene’ singer, including Melbourne’s Flinders Street Station, and Hobart’s Tasman Bridge and Wrest Point Casino.
Tasmania’s Premier, Jeremy Rockliff, said it was being done to honour a woman who was “so much more than a songwriter to millions of people”.
Coles also honour the 80-year-old star by blasting her hits at stores nationwide from 3-4pm on Wednesday.
It was the first time the company has honoured a musician in this way.
“There was only one Dolly Parton,” Martin Smithson, Coles’ executive general manager for supermarket operations, said.
“Her music brought joy to generations of fans, so to honour her, we’re turning up the volume and celebrating an extraordinary entertainer.”
The diverse homages to Dolly had a profound impact on Australians.
“What a wonderful tribute to an incredible woman. Dolly Parton was a huge part of my Gen X childhood,” one said.
“Coles was playing Dolly all afternoon, back to back, and I nearly sobbed in the checkout,” another added.
“It’s so impressive how a little girl from the Mountains of Tennessee has the world in pink,” a third said.
Australia wasn’t the only country to pay its respects to the singer.
Donald Trump ordered flags to be flown at half-mast, and London also erected huge signs on buildings to honour her legacy.
How did Dolly Parton die?
The ‘I Will Always Love You’ singer died from cancer at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Centre while surrounded by loved ones, according to her publicist.
She was admitted to the centre on August 21, revealing her health issues had increased following the death of her husband Carl Dean in March 2025.
Dolly Parton was a force in country music, paving the way for young women in the industry.
However, Dolly wasn’t just a creative mind.
She also deeply cared about education, giving out scholarships to high school students.
Dolly also started the Imagination Library in 1995, which sends books to children from birth until they reach school and also operates in Australia, raised millions for people impacted by natural disasters, and donated $1 million to finding a vaccine for COVID.
Tributes have also flooded in from stars, including Taylor Swift.
“A world without Dolly doesn’t feel possible, real, or right. But because of the eternally generous way she spent her time on this earth and the countless lives she changed for the better, her legacy will be an everlasting one,” Taylor told USA Today.
Miley Cyrus, who was Dolly’s goddaughter, also paid tribute.
“The feeling of losing my Aunt Dolly is beyond what feels right to share,” said Miley.
“Our most sacred moments were private and they’ll stay there behind the stage, beneath the glamour and between our hearts.”