Just before Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift tied the knot on July 3, the famous couple donated $26 million to various charities.
Among the numerous foundations, they donated $2 million to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which the late country singer first launched in 1995. Parton died on August 25 at age 80 following “a brief battle with cancer,” her publicist shared in a statement.
After receiving the gift last month, Parton made a special video for the 11-time Pro Bowler and his bride. “Taylor and Travis, it’s Dolly, and I was just told that you two were making a donation of $2 million to my Imagination Library,” Parton said. “I’m blown away and overjoyed with that gratitude.”
“Now, it’s evident, that you have made giving back a key part of your lives, so hey, when you have you firstborn, can I have it? Because that is gonna be one special baby!… So, thank you, and know that I will always love you,” Parton said.
Taylor Swift Praised Dolly Parton and Her ‘Everlasting Legacy’
Social media flooded with tributes following Parton’s death. Swift, however, honored Parton with a moving statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
“A world without Dolly doesn’t feel possible, real, or right,” Swift began. “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.”
“She was truly the gift that kept on giving. Dolly gave us someone to look up to while encouraging us to be who we are as individuals. Somehow she was able to give us her lessons about the world gently and honestly, simultaneously, and oftentimes hilariously.”
“She managed to give the world the ultimate mystery and fantasy in some corners of her life, but to give full transparency in the ways that counted,” Swift continued. “Somehow she was true grace and true grit, all in one dazzling person. She possessed the softest heart when it came to the struggles of others, and a backbone of steel to defend her own self worth as an artist.”
Swift ended her message with a nod to her famous lyrics: “Along with her other fans, I am so grateful for all of it. For the melodies and lyrics she wrote that thawed even the coldest hearts.
“For the millions of books she provided children all over the world so that they might fall in love with stories the way she did. For the tightropes she walked so that young girls like me could grow up dreaming of joining the circus too. Dolly, I’ll think of you each step of the way.”
Fans Strongly Reacted to Taylor Swift’s Moving Statement
One fan posted on X after reading Swift’s tribute, “Okay crying again 💔💔.” Another person gushed, “Two generations of music icons paying respect to the queen of country 😭💀 Dolly Parton’s impact on songwriting and the industry will truly live forever! 🤍.”
Swift previously gushed over Parton on social media. After receiving praise from the “I Will Always Love You” songwriter. The 14-time Grammy winner posted on X in December 2020, “I need nothing else for my birthday this year. Or any other year. Ever. This is it. I love you Dolly ♥️.”
Taylor Swift’s Tribute to Dolly Parton Leaves Fans in Tears