Fans paid tribute to Parton at her Walk of Fame Star on Aug. 25, leaving flowers, photos and even boxes of her Fabulously Fudgy Brownie Mix. (photo by Edwin Folven)

Few individuals possessed the innate ability to unite people like Dolly Parton, who died on Aug. 25 at 80 after a brief battle with cancer. From Nashville to Los Angeles, the Queen of Country was universally loved for her extensive music catalog, her iconic appearances in film and television and her uncompromising determination to make the world a better place.

Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on Jan. 19, 1946, in East Tennessee. The fourth of 12 children of Robert Lee Parton, a sharecropper and construction worker, and Avie Lee Caroline Owens Parton, a homemaker with a love of music, Parton grew up poor in rural Appalachia. Despite facing poverty, Parton often recalled a joyous childhood anchored by family, church and, of course, song.

“I think my childhood made me everything I am today,” Parton told Entertainment Tonight in 2015. “I would trade nothing for being brought up in the Great Smoky Mountains.”

By age 10, Parton was regularly performing around Tennessee, appearing at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry for the first time in 1959 when she was just 13. Parton frequently cited Appalachian folk music traditions passed down by her family and devotional gospel hymns as early influences on her musical career.

After years spent cutting her teeth in Nashville as a teenager and young adult, Parton found her breakthrough with regular appearances on “The Porter Wagoner Show” beginning in 1967, where she established herself as a recording artist in the country music capital. Her 1973 song “Jolene” became an instant classic with its desperate pleas to the titular woman.

“I’m begging of you please don’t take my man,” Parton crooned, later stating that she based the song on a real-life flirtatious incident between her husband and a bank teller.

The next year, Parton scored another enduring hit with the timeless ballad “I Will Always Love You,” a tear-jerking goodbye to her collaborator, Wagoner. The song reached the top of the country charts and quickly became a sentimental breakup standard, later recorded by Linda Ronstadt, Kenny Rogers and most famously, Whitney Houston.

By the late 1970s, Parton, with a shrewd business acumen she partly credited to her father, began making a deliberate effort to cross over from the country world into pop music. Her 1977 album “Here You Come Again” successfully breached the pop charts and earned her the first of 11 Grammys she would collect in her decades-long career. At the same time, Parton’s iconic look – sparkling rhinestone-studded gowns and a striking, platinum-blond bouffant – became ingrained in the mainstream through increasing appearances on television.

In 1980, Parton went from pop star to movie star with the release of “9 to 5,” a comedic takedown of misogynistic workplace culture. Parton also wrote and performed the film’s infectious theme, which earned her an Academy Award nomination for best original song. The film smashed the box office, grossing more than $100 million on a $10 million budget, and propelled Parton into an ‘80s film career, with leading roles in “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” (1982), “Rhinestone” (1984) and “Steel Magnolias” (1989). More than 25 years after its release, “9 to 5” would also serve as the basis for a stage musical that became popular with a new generation of fans. The musical, with original music penned by Parton, premiered at L.A.’s Ahmanson Theatre in 2008.

The Queen of Country received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1984. (photo courtesy of the Hollywood Walk of Fame)

Parton received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1984, and her death was immediately felt on the boulevard more than 40 years later. Fans flocked from far and wide to pay tribute to the Queen of Country at her Walk of Fame Star on Aug. 25, leaving flowers, photos and even boxes of her Fabulously Fudgy Brownie Mix – just one of her many business ventures.

“Dolly was a once-in-a-lifetime talent whose music, films, generosity and unmistakable spirit touched millions around the world,” Hollywood Walk of Fame Producer Ana Martinez said. “Her loss is immeasurable – not only to her family, friends and fans, but to the entire world. The Hollywood Walk of Fame will forever shine a little brighter because Dolly Parton walked among us.”

SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin mourned Parton, who had been a member of the union since 1969.

“The passing of Dolly Parton will be deeply felt throughout our membership. Her life and legacy of joy and creativity had an indescribable impact on the world. As a singer, songwriter, performer, business leader and all-around visionary, Dolly Parton’s talent is revered across generations,” Astin said. “Her basic humanity is known to the world and she is simply beloved by countless millions. Personally, from ‘9 to 5’ when she effortlessly advanced the cause of professional women, to her ‘Islands in the Stream’ collaboration with Kenny Rogers, I’m a true and forever fan. On behalf of SAG-AFTRA and my family, we send thoughts of love and condolence to her family.”

Parton’s impact stretched far beyond her contributions to entertainment, as she dedicated much of her life to philanthropy. She launched the Dollywood Foundation, an education nonprofit, in 1988 and her signature initiative, the Imagination Library, in 1995 – inspired in part by her father, who could not read or write. The program began by providing free books to young children in her home county in Tennessee and eventually expanded around the world, distributing hundreds of millions of books.

In addition to childhood literacy and education, Parton championed causes including disaster relief, medical research, women’s health, diversity, LGBTQ+ acceptance and wildlife conservation.

Her death was widely mourned across geographic, political and socioeconomic lines.

“I am devastated,” wrote Jane Fonda, her “9 to 5” costar. “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.”

President Donald Trump on Aug. 25 ordered American flags to be lowered to half-staff in her honor until Sept. 1. Gov. Gavin Newsom similarly ordered all flags on state buildings to do the same.

“The world will be less sparkly without Dolly, but the joy she brought and the stories she shared will shine for generations,” Newsom said.

The city of West Hollywood joined millions around the world in mourning Parton, celebrating her role as an ally to the LGBTQ+ community.

“Dolly’s extraordinary talent was matched by her warmth, generosity and enduring message of love and acceptance,” the city said in a statement. “For decades, she embraced people with compassion and without judgment, using her voice to affirm dignity, equality and the simple belief that everyone deserves to be exactly who they are. Her legacy of music, kindness and joyful authenticity will live on for generations.”

Parton demonstrated her altruistic nature when accepting the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in 2022.

“I just give from my heart,” Parton said. “I just see a need, and if I can fill it, then I will.”

Pink’s Hot Dogs paid tribute to the Queen of Country with a special message on the stand at 709 N. La Brea Ave. (photo by Edwin Folven)