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Varvara Rodchenko

Dolly Parton’s family, fans and public figures have expressed grief over her death at 80 on Tuesday, following a brief cancer battle. National flags across the US are flying at half mast for a week as ordered by President Donald Trump in honour of the “Queen of Country Music”.
Jane Fonda, Parton’s co-star in the 1980 film 9 to 5, shared a long tribute on Instagram on Wednesday to remember the star. “I know that millions are mourning and I want to say this – more than anyone I have ever known, Dolly will always be with us because she was so present, so powerful, so generous and playful that she is woven into all our lives and hearts forever,” her post read.












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Miley Cyrus, Parton’s goddaughter, also recalled the precious moments she shared with the country music legend, adding that one of their last conversations was about music. “What I KNOW is Dolly would want me to feel it, write a song about it, and then continue on and be strong,” she wrote.
Of all those mourning the loss of the musical icon, few will feel Parton’s absence more deeply than her best friend, Judy Ogle.
How long had Dolly Parton and Judy Ogle been friends?

Both Tennessee natives, Parton and Ogle were childhood friends and grew up together. In a 2019 interview with The Sun, Parton revealed she and Ogle were friends for 64 years, making their friendship a seven-decade-long one at the moment of Parton’s passing.
In the same interview, the superstar said they were “like sisters” and that their opposite personalities suited each other. “She was very quiet, I was very outgoing. So we made perfect friends. We went all through school together,” Parton said.
Ogle was Parton’s assistant, too

After Parton and Ogle graduated from secondary school, they went on separate paths for a while – the former moved to Nashville to pursue her music career, while the latter joined the US Army to support her family.
The two reconnected soon after Ogle completed her military service. Joining Parton in Nashville, she eventually became the singer’s personal assistant and touring companion. “We picked right up where we left off,” Parton shared on The Big Interview with Dan Rather in 2014.
In the 1970s, Ogle also started The Dolly Archive, collecting and preserving every photo, article and costume piece connected to the artist’s life and career.
On National Best Friends Day in June this year, Parton celebrated her enduring friendship with Ogle on Instagram: “I’ve always had a little bit of Tennessee with me at every point in my career, thanks to my best friend, Judy Ogle. She travelled with me, worked as my assistant and was there for anything I needed. We had so many adventures and so many laughs – and I can’t imagine my years on the road (or my life) – without her!”
Were Dolly Parton and Judy Ogle romantically involved?

Seeing how close Parton and Ogle were, some fans speculated that the two were romantically involved. Parton, who was married to Carl Thomas Dean for close to 60 years before he passed away last year, squashed the rumours in a 2012 interview with Nightline.
“Judy, my friend, they just think that you just can’t be that close to somebody,” Parton said. “Judy and I have been best friends since we were like in the third and fourth grade. We still just have a great friendship and relationship, and I love her as much as I love anybody in the whole world, but we’re not romantically involved.”
Parton was a long-standing advocate for LGBTQ rights, first publicly supporting the community through her 1991 song “Family”, in which she encouraged families to accept their relatives regardless of their sexual orientation. “I have a huge gay following, and I’m proud of them,” the star told The New York Times in 2016.


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Fame and celebrity

Meet the late Dolly Parton’s lifelong best friend and assistant, Judy Ogle

The late Dolly Parton (left) and her best friend, Judy Ogle, had known each other since childhood. Photo: @dollyparton/Instagram

Dolly Parton (left) and Judy Ogle were ‘like sisters’. Photo: @thedollyarchive/Instagram

Judy Ogle (right) began archiving Dolly Parton’s costumes and memorabilia in the 1970s. Photo: @partonnews/Instagram

Dolly Parton’s close relationship with Judy Ogle sparked rumours that they were more than best friends. Photo: @thedollyarchive/Instagram

Who is Heidi Parton, Dollywood performer and Dolly Parton’s singer-songwriter niece?

Dolly Parton’s niece, Heidi Parton, teamed up musically with her aunt on numerous occasions. Photos: @heidiparton/Instagram

Musical legacy: Heidi Parton and her aunt, the legendary Dolly Parton. Photo: @heidiparton/Instagram 

Heidi Parton is no stranger to showbiz. Photo: @heidiparton/Instagram 

Heidi Parton and her father Randy Parton back in the day. Photo: @heidiparton/Instagram 

Heidi Parton is involved in music, too. Photo: @heidiparton/Instagram 

Singers Heidi Parton (left) and Shelley Rená (right). Photo: @heidiparton/Instagram 

Heidi Parton looking glam. Photo: @heidiparton/Instagram 

Heidi Parton and her aunt Dolly Parton. Photo: @heidiparton/Instagram 

Meet Britney Spears’ son, Jayden James – model, musician and the new face of MAC Cosmetics

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Jayden James made his runway debut in June. Photo: @jaydenjames/Instagram

Jayden James is working on releasing his own music. Photo: @jaydenjames/Instagram

Jayden James leaves his skincare routine to his girlfriend Gabrielle Helene. Photo: @gabr1ellehelene/Instagram

Meet Adéla’s boyfriend, Jackson Shanks – the music producer who’s worked with Selena Gomez and Le Sserafim

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Jackson Shanks was mentored by Blake Slatkin, who has collaborated with Justin Bieber, The Kid Laroi, SZA, and other major acts. Photo: @jacksonnshanks/Instagram

Adéla Jergová and Jackson Shanks were first spotted together at Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet Tour in Los Angeles in November 2025. Photo: @myleshendrik/Instagram

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Meet Jill Wagner, who plays Bobby in Taylor Sheridan’s Lioness

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Having known the ‘Queen of Country Music’ since childhood, Ogle founded The Dolly Archive and was even rumoured to be romantically involved with the ‘Jolene’ singer


Having known the ‘Queen of Country Music’ since childhood, Ogle founded The Dolly Archive and was even rumoured to be romantically involved with the ‘Jolene’ singer.
