A man who says he knew Dolly Parton stands with a flag flying at half-staff in Sevierville, Tennessee, north of Dollywood, on August 25, 2026. Dolly Parton, the American country music singer who rose from poverty in Tennessee to become a US cultural giant with hits like "Jolene" and "9 to 5," has died at 80, her family said on August 25. (Photo by A.M. Stewart / AFP via Getty Images)