“I’ve dreamed myself into a corner and I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I’m gonna keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life.” When Dolly Parton said this to PEOPLE on August 21st, it felt like the 80-year-old country music legend was gearing up for another big splash with her iconic voice. But little did we know, just four days later, that iconic voice which once sang Jolene would never be heard again.

Dolly Parton passed away on August 25th. While her family did not reveal the cause of her passing, her nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced the news on her social media handles in a heartfelt video message.

“My name is Bryan Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I’m representing the Parton and Owens family today, announcing the passing of my aunt Dolly Rebecca Parton-Dean,” Seaver said on the video. “Sister, sis, aunt granny to one generation, and Gigi to the next. This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality.

“As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment, but haven’t truly felt it until now. It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly.

“Dolly has lived in the light, and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents, and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens. I first went on the road with Dolly as a kid, getting a taste of the road life in the early 1980s. Dolly opened doors, not just for me, but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn’t even know was possible.

“Dolly also opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians, and dreamers from every walk of life, and across every continent. By her example, we believe that anything was possible. She never saw a door she couldn’t open, and the door she opened made and changed history.”

Dolly Parton had been battling many health complications for quite some time now. Back in May, she cancelled a Las Vegas Residency and shared that she’d been battling kidney stones for a long while.

“I’m responding really well to meds and treatments, and I’m improving every day,” she said at the time. “I’ve told you before that I’ve always had problems with my kidney stones… Lord, they dig more stones out of me a year than the rock quarry in Rockwood, Tennessee. But seriously, my immune system and my digestive system got all out of whack over the past couple of years, and they’re working real hard on rebuilding their strength.”

The next month, she was back in action, appearing at Connersville to celebrate Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop’s opening. Cut to August, and she was telling PEOPLE that she was “dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching for Carl (her husband).”

But now, as the 11x Grammy winner’s journey ends, the world is mourning the loss. And many NFL legends are also among those lining up to pay tribute to her.

“Prayers up for the family, friends and fans of the legendary Dolly Parton,” former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III wrote on X, reposting the video message by Bryan Seaver. “Rest in Peace to the Queen of Country.”

Former NFL safety Ryan Clark also took to his X to share his disbelief while also offering a prayer with, “Noooo…. RIP Legend. 🙏🏾”

“Dolly Parton had a way of making everyone feel special, and seen, and welcomed, and as if you were old friends,” popular singer/songwriter Kelly Clarkson wrote on X. “I will miss her heart and her voice as I am sure millions will. What an incredible gift and talent she was and still is with an amazing catalogue of art she has left behind for all of us.”

Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, even shared a live performance video of one of Parton’s most iconic hits – Islands In the Stream – sung with the legend Kenny Rogers. Above the complete song, Portnoy wrote: “RIP Dolly Parton. Can now join Kenny Rogers. This is still one of my favorite live performances ever. Back when singing was singing.”

As the world mourns the loss of this legend, we at EssentiallySports also pay our tribute to the Tennessee icon.

“America lost Dolly Parton today, an icon who reshaped country music and touched millions with her timeless artistry. Beyond her stellar music and acting career, her legacy includes:

Tennessee & Sports Legacy: Honored by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame for her commitment to her home state.

NFL Lore: Delivered an unforgettable 2023 Thanksgiving halftime performance.

Trademark Humility: Repeatedly turned down Super Bowl Halftime Show opportunities because she modestly felt she wasn’t ‘big enough’ for it.
Rest in peace, Dolly Parton; you will be dearly missed.”

The biggest tribute of all, though, came from her nephew himself. At the end of the video message, Bryan Seaver closed the final chapter of her legacy with the same feeling that has defined her music career spanning generations: love.

“Dolly was a farmer, just like her daddy,” Seaver said. “He farmed the soil, she farmed songs and happiness. Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest.

“Rest in peace, Aunt Dolly, Aunt Granny, Gigi. May God bless Dolly Parton, and may God bless you all. She will always love you.”