'Heartbreaking': Reba McEntire Never Got To Speak With Dolly Parton In Her Final Days

Reba McEntire lost a peer and a dear friend when Dolly Parton died of cancer on August 25, 2026, shocking the world. The two had a friendship that spanned decades, beginning when McEntire was just starting out in the country music business, in which Parton was already well-established. Sadly, they never got the chance to say goodbye during Parton's final days. "Well, I just got the news that my buddy Dolly passed onto the higher and greater side. Dolly, thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth," McEntire wrote in an Instagram tribute for Parton. "I'll never forget the first time I met you and I'll never forget our last conversation. ... I will always love you, Reba."

Speaking to ET in September, McEntire recalled the last time she spoke to Parton, saying that they had been trying to reach each other for a while, but their schedules made it difficult. She revealed that in July, just weeks before Parton's death, she missed a call from the "Jolene" singer. "I was in a meeting, and I tried to get back in touch, and I couldn't," the star of the "Reba" cast added. Alas, "[We] never made connection."

Then came the news. "Lisa Davis, my buddy, called me the morning of the 25th and she said, 'Dolly's gone." Suddenly, she found herself thinking about that phone call. "I thought, 'I'll never know why she called me. So that.... I'll find out one day," said McEntire. Fans felt sorry for the two women missing out on that final conversation. "This is genuinely heartbreaking to read," tweeted one.

The first time Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton crossed paths was way back in 1977 during McEntire's Grand Ole Opry debut, where Parton ended up stealing the spotlight. According to McEntire, she was slated to perform two songs when one of the organizers approached her and said that Parton would be taking over and singing one of her songs. She didn't mind, however; more than anything, she was excited at the prospect of finally meeting her idol. "I said, 'Okay, can I meet her?'" the "Fancy" singer recalled on one of her "Masterclass" episodes (via Facebook). "I didn't care or anything. I just wanted to see Dolly Parton."

She was entranced the moment she laid eyes on the icon. "She came walking in and I kinda backed up against the wall." She remembered Parton wearing a black pantsuit "with rhinestone butterflies on them" — and her signature sky-high wig, of course. "I thought, 'Oh my God, that's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life,'" McEntire gushed to Taste of Country in 2023. "She kinda floated by. She was just like an angel."

The pair eventually became friends and only grew closer as time went by. They even collaborated on several projects and performances, including, perhaps most notably, a re-recording of McEntire's "Does He Love You" featuring Parton in 2021. As news of her declining health began to make the rounds in 2025, McEntire shared a touching message for the beloved country music superstar through an Instagram Reel addressing rumors that Parton had died. "You tell 'em Dolly! ... Both of us know you're too young [...] for that kind of mess," McEntire enthused. "But you better know I'm praying for you. I love you with all my heart. And I can't wait to see you soon."