Dolly Parton isn’t a national icon. She’s an international icon.

As fans from the music and entertainment communities share their memories of the late country music superstar, Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to the “Jolene” singer and songwriter.  

“Dolly Parton made our world a better place in so many ways, it’s hard to imagine the world without her. A singer and songwriter of rare power and talent, she also shone brightly as an actor, author and philanthropist,” he writes in a social post, which is accompanied by a picture of the pair enjoying a laugh.

“And the big, radiant heart of the Dolly universe was a personality as strong as it was compassionate, a vivacious woman of great humour and a sense of humanity sustained in no small part by the humble strength of her roots.”

Parton made a rare trip to Australia for her Better Day tour of 2011. Michael Chugg was the promoter of that trek, her first of these parts in decades.

Red tape, however, threatened to unravel the 12-show national trek, as Parton’s tour bus was found to flout the regulations. The vehicle was deemed to be too long, too wide for Australian roads.

With the intervention of Albanese, who was federal transport minister at the time, in the Julia Gillard government, the shows went ahead.

“One of the joys of my time in Government was when I was able to help Dolly overcome a bit of red tape and get her tour bus on to Australian roads in 2011. It was a magical experience meeting her, but what was even better was seeing her among her legions of local fans,” Albanese recounts.

“There are a lot of broken hearts in Australia and across the world today. Wherever you are, turn your stereo or your phone to Dolly then turn the volume up. And may the great Dolly Parton rest in peace.”

Parton returned to Australia in 2014 for six dates, part of her Blue Smoke World Tour.

The “Islands In The Stream” artist had a special connection with Australia, and, particularly, the city of Melbourne, for which she was handed the keys to the city in 1987.

The symbolic gesture “was the least we could do,” reads a social post from the City of Melbourne. “Dolly’s values of creativity and community are ones Melbourne shares. We are a city known for our love of music, and we embrace the songwriting legacy she leaves behind.

As a UNESCO City of Literature, we’ll keep spreading the joy and importance of reading to the next generation. And as the inventors of the 8-hour day, we’ll be Workin’ 9 to 5 in your honor,” a nod to the 1980 comedy film, in which she starred, and its hit title track, which she performed.

The state of Victoria’s peak body representing trade unions and hundreds of thousands of workers, the Victorian Trades Hall Council, also saluted Parton for her integrity and the choices she made to help countless others.

“Dolly Parton could have been a billionaire. But instead, she chose to lift the rest of the world up,” reads a statement from the organization. “She created thousands of good jobs in the community she grew up in. She made sure that millions of children around the world have access to books in those vital early years. She donated millions to medical research. And she was a proud union member for over 50 years. Vale comrade Dolly.”

Parton died in Nashville on Tuesday (Aug. 25) at the age of 80, leaving a legacy that will be cherished for as long as people listen to music. Named Billboard’s top country artist of all time in 2024, Dolly was a cultural and commercial force. She landed 49 albums in the top 10 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, the most of any woman, and she landed more No. 1s on the Hot Country Songs chart for a woman artist, with 25. In 1999, she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and in 2022, elevated into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.

It was anything but an ordinary Tuesday night (Aug. 27) in Sydney as Darren Hayes was feted with the Excellence in Community Award at the 17th annual Music In The House event.

The ex-Savage Garden singer and songwriter was on hand at the Support Act fundraiser, presented at The Linseed House, The Grounds of Alexandria, where he doubled up with induction into APRA AMCOS’s Billions Club — recognition of the pop group’s Billboard Hot 100 leader from 1997, “Truly Madly Deeply,” one of their two U.S. No. 1s.

Savage Garden, the pairing of Hayes and Daniel Jones, was one of Australia’s biggest exports of the 1990s. Their self-titled debut album — which houses “Truly Madly Deeply” and top 10 hit “I Want You” — peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, while sophomore and final release Affirmation, which houses No. 1 smash “I Knew I Loved You,” reached No. 6. The group split in 2001.

For the past quarter century, Hayes has enjoyed a solo career, one that has yielded five studio albums, most recently the 2022 release Homosexual.

Across his career, Hayes has sold over 35 million albums worldwide, and collected 14 ARIA Awards and 10 APRA songwriting awards.

Away from the studio and the stage, Hayes has been a tireless leader of community, a stance that saw him appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his services to the music industry in 2019.

The Queenslander has candidly shared his personal journey with mental health, resilience, and LGBTQIA+ representation, Support Act explains, and used his global platform to break stigmas and foster safer, more supportive spaces across the creative industries.

“I’m deeply honored to be recognized by Support Act for my achievements beyond commercial success and chart statistics in the Australian music industry,” he remarked on receiving the Music In The House award. “I’m grateful to have been a voice advocating for an end to violence against women, homophobia, and racism, and I’m a passionate advocate for removing the stigma associated with mental health.”

Longtime friend Claire Marshall presented Hayes with his Excellence in Community Award, with television presenter Osher Günsberg serving as emcee of the celebration.

Hayes added, “Receiving any recognition from Support Act is an extreme honor. I hope that by highlighting my career, we can shine some of that spotlight on the much-needed funding crucial to the survival of this essential organization.”

On the night, a lineup of guests performers covers of Hayes and Savage Garden songs, including including Tania Doko, Electric Fields, Meg Mac, Michael Paynter, and Sister2Sister.

“Darren Hayes is not only one of the greatest songwriters and performers Australia has ever produced, but he is also a beacon of courage, openness, and empathy,” comments Clive Miller, CEO of Support Act. “His bravery in speaking out about mental health, trauma, and identity has paved the way for healthier, more compassionate conversations across the music community. We are thrilled to present him with this year’s Excellence in Community Award.”

Hayes left with his hands full, his APRA AMCOS prize for entry into the 1,000,000,000 List with “Truly Madly Deeply,” which has surpassed one billion streams across major services including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. APRA chair and ARIA Hall of Fame inductee Jenny Morris presented the Billions Award to Hayes.

“When APRA’s founding publishers first met 100 years ago in 1926, they could never have imagined we’d be here in 2026 celebrating songwriters and publishers for reaching one billion streams,” Morris said. “It’s an extraordinary achievement, a testament to the staying power and connection of the song. I’m thrilled to announce that Savage Garden’s ‘Truly Madly Deeply’ has reached that major milestone and will be added to our coveted Billions List.”

Established in 2006, Music In The House gathers the nation’s music industry to salute leaders in music for both their artistic achievements and their broader contributions.

Previous recipients include Troy Cassar-Daley, Powderfinger, Marcia Hines, Midnight Oil, Tina Arena, and the late Archie Roach.

All proceeds raised on the night go to Support Act’s much-needed initiatives, which include the charity’s Wellbeing Helpline, Crisis Relief grants, and mental health prevention programs for struggling music workers. Visit supportact.org.au for more.

MELBOURNE, Australia — Ralph Carr, the disgraced promoter and talent manager who once guided the careers of Kate Ceberano, Tina Arena, Vanessa Amorosi and others, is behind bars after a court found him guilty of rape.

The Melbourne businessman was this week sentenced to six years’ jail for crimes committed on the night of March 23, 2023.

“Your conduct was appalling,” Judge Frank Gucciardo said during sentencing this week, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports. “Rape is a crime of violence. This was committed by you in an egregious breach of trust.”

Carr is said to have faced the County Court of Victoria via video link, sobbing, and unrecognizable without the hairpiece that had earned him the nickname “The Rug,” as the judge read the sentence, according to the public broadcaster. The 66-year-old must serve a minimum of four years before he is eligible for parole.

Earlier, prosecutors alleged Carr committed the attack against a woman at his Melbourne home, after a night when the pair had been consuming drugs and alcohol.

He pleaded not guilty at the trial. A jury, however, found him guilty of two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

“You maintain your innocence of these offences and consequently there is no evidence of your remorse or contrition,” Judge Gucciardo remarked.

Carr is currently held at the Melbourne Assessment Prison but will be moved to Hopkins Correctional Centre in Ararat.

The sentencing judge is said to have taken into account several factors, including the public nature of Carr’s downfall, his lack of a criminal record and his mental health.

“These offences strike at the most basic values, the norms of a decent society,” Judge Gucciardo explained.

A high-profile professional in the worlds of Australian sport and music, Carr was publicly identified on Monday, Aug. 3 when an almost three-year-long suppression order was lifted by the County Court.

Media outlets were unable able to disclose Carr’s identify until then, due to a suppression order granted under Section 18(1)(c) of Victoria’s Open Courts Act. Carr’s legal reps had called for the gag order, arguing his personal safety was at risk if he was outed in the press.

The secrecy ended when Carr was found guilty and an application to extend the order was abandoned.

Ralph Carr Management (RCM) clients once included Vanessa Amorosi, Rick Price, Mark Vincent, and ARIA Hall of Famers Kate Ceberano and Tina Arena, to whom he was married for several years in the mid-to-late 1990s. His live entertainment company RCM Touring Pty Limited went into liquidation in 2018, after reportedly owning A$120,000 to another touring enterprise, Big Deal Touring. Two years later, in 2020, Carr was questioned in a “public examination” at Sydney’s Supreme Court in relation to RCM Touring’s financial affairs.

Speaking on Episode 6 of the “GLOW Stories” podcast, Arena reflected on her former partner and the culture that enabled improper behavior. “I think what happened to Mr Carr a couple of weeks ago is the culmination of very, very inappropriate behavior that has been going on for a very long time,” she remarked.

Carr’s legal team is expected to lodge legal documents with the Court of Appeal within the next two months, according to the ABC.

Dolly Parton spent her life turning her own experiences, memories and emotions into music. Even after death, her songs will continue to tell her story — including two that show just how thoughtfully she considered her musical legacy.

The country music icon, who died Tuesday (Aug. 25) at age 80 after a brief battle with cancer, had already decided what song she wanted played at her funeral more than a decade before her death. And, in true Dolly fashion, she also left behind another song that she specifically instructed would not be heard until her 100th birthday in 2046.

In a 2014 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Parton was asked what song she would want played at her funeral. While many might have expected “I Will Always Love You” — the song she famously wrote and recorded and then later watched become an even bigger hit through Whitney Houston‘s rendition — Parton had something more personal in mind.

“I’m sure they’ll be playing ‘I Will Always Love You’ when I die, just like they did with Whitney Houston,” she told the outlet at the time. But when it came to the song she actually wanted for her own funeral, she chose “If We Never Meet Again,” an old country-gospel hymn with a particularly meaningful connection to her family.

The song had been her father’s favorite, and it was performed at his funeral. Parton said she hoped the same song would one day be sung at hers.

The choice is fitting, given the song’s message about separation and the hope of being reunited in the afterlife.

Her funeral plans were indeed something Parton had considered in advance. Her representatives confirmed Tuesday that she requested a small, private service for immediate family. Her nephew and head of security, Bryan Seaver, also shared that Parton wanted to be laid to rest in a “beautiful bed of plush cotton.”

But Parton’s planning for the music that would remain until after her death went beyond her funeral. At Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, sits a locked chestnut box containing a recording of an unreleased Parton song called “My Place in History.” The song was written in 2015, the same year the resort opened, and Parton specifically arranged for it to be unveiled on what would have been her 100th birthday: Jan. 19, 2046.

Inside the box is a CD containing the recording, along with a CD player so that future generations will be able to hear it, outwardly a Dolly time capsule. The country legend even acknowledged the uncertainty of leaving technology from 2015 to be opened decades later.

“There’s no telling what music is going to be by then,” she wrote in her 2020 book, Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics. “Hopefully, it will play and the whole thing ain’t rotted.”

Parton also joked that she hoped she would live long enough to hear the song herself when the box eventually opened. She was 69 when she wrote and recorded “My Place In History.”

Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift never recorded a song together, but openly shared a mutual admiration. Now, Swift is sharing her heartfelt appreciation for Parton, who died Tuesday (Aug. 25) at age 80, thanking her for “the melodies and lyrics she wrote that thawed even the coldest hearts.”

Swift praised Parton for her songwriting and also for her philanthropy and just general Dolly-ness.

“A world without Dolly doesn’t feel possible, real, or right,” Swift wrote in a statement provided to Billboard. “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 lauded Parton for knowing her own value as a creator, something the two artists shared: “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 said.

Just last month, Parton took to social media to thank Swift and her then-fiancé Travis Kelce for their $2 million donation to Parton’s Imagination Library as part of their $26 million in charitable giving prior to the pair’s July 3 wedding. Parton even jokingly asked, “Hey, when you have your first born can I have it? Because that is going to be one special baby.”

Parton often praised Swift, telling E! News last year, “I’m just crazy about Taylor. I just admire her so much for what she’s done with her life. Her career. Such a great artist and songwriter.”

Swift’s statement in full is below. Like so many tributes to the icon, Swift even managed to fit in a reference to Parton’s most famous and enduring song, “I Will Always Love You”:

“A world without Dolly doesn’t feel possible, real, or right. 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. 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.

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.”

Hours after news of Dolly Parton‘s death broke on Tuesday (Aug. 25), Jack White paid live tribute to the late country icon by covering her song “Jolene” at London’s Eventim Apollo.

The rock singer posted a snippet of the performance on his Instagram account after the show, beginning with the fitting lyric: “Your beauty is beyond compare.” White also shared a tribute to Parton earlier Tuesday, posting a 1965 photo of the legend with her classic beehive hairstyle with the two-word caption: “Instant Sainthood.”

This is hardly the first time White has covered Parton’s legendary 1973 song begging another woman not to steal her man. The White Stripes — White’s rock duo with drummer Meg White — released a studio version of the song as a B-side to “Hello Operator” in 2000 and also dropped a live single in 2004. Their cover never charted in the U.S., but it did top the UK Indie chart and peaked at No. 16 on the UK Singles chart in 2004.

Parton’s original version peaked at No. 60 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Hot Country Songs chart in 1974. It also spawned many covers beyond The White Stripes’ as well, including Beyoncé‘s interpolation from her country album Cowboy Carter, which featured some new lyrics and peaked at No. 7 on the Hot 100 in 2024. Parton herself was also featured on a Pentatonix cover, which reached No. 18 on Hot Country Songs in 2016.

Following “a brief battle with cancer,” according to her team, Parton died Tuesday at age 80 in Nashville. Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, shared the news through a video message on Parton’s socials.

See White’s tribute to Parton below:

Eminem and Dolly Parton never met, but they shared a mutual admiration for each other’s craft. Following Parton’s death on Tuesday (Aug. 25), Slim Shady shared a heartfelt note that the country icon sent him after he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

“I’m sorry we never got a chance to meet, but getting this note from Dolly really had a an impact on me,” Em captioned the post on social media. “She definitely didn’t have to take the time to do it. Even for a kid who mostly listened to rap music, she was an icon. A superstar in every sense. Rest easy Dolly. And thank you for the kind words.”

In her letter, Parton revealed how, while she wasn’t very knowledgeable when it comes to hip-hop, she’s long felt an “unexplained connection” to Eminem.

“Congratulations on your induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” she wrote. “Your performance was amazing and everybody said so. Even though I don’t know a lot about rap music, I’ve come to know that you are the very best at it. Aside from that I hope what I have to say will not seem weird or strange to you but I have always felt some unexplained connection to you like I know you somehow.”

The versatile singer/songwriter continued: “I had hoped to meet you at the show but you know how nuts those things are, personally I hate ’em and I missed my chance but maybe someday we’ll meet. In the meantime, keep doing what you’re doing because you do it so well and no matter how complex your world may be just know you are very special and touch people in ways you don’t even know.”

Parton left an indelible mark on country and pop music with a career that spanned more than half a century. Parton died Tuesday in Nashville at 80 years old.

She spent the last year dealing with unspecified health issues, which led to her canceling numerous public appearances, including her 2025 Las Vegas residency. On Tuesday, her reps revealed that Parton died “after bravely facing a brief battle with cancer.”

Paul McCartney, Billy Ray Cyrus, George Strait and Elton John were among the outpouring of moving tributes to the “9 to 5” singer spanning music and all facets of entertainment since Parton’s death became public knowledge.

Find Parton’s letter to Eminem below.

When the news broke today that Dolly Parton had died, everyone in the Billboard newsroom from the most seasoned veteran to the college intern shed a tear — because it felt like, as one person said, “an angel had just died.” The world already feels like a colder place without her in it. Everyone loved Dolly Parton because Dolly Parton honestly loved everyone. (Which is very different from liking everyone.)

Parton felt like the one person on earth that everyone could agree was nothing but a universal good. Groups who were famously at odds, such as conservative Christians and the LGBTQIA community, agreed on their love for Dolly. Today she’s even being mourned by The Muppets.

Parton generally declined to talk politics or politically charged issues, but she very clearly made her strong opinions known, and the thread always led back to treating people with love and kindness. She constantly stressed that she wasn’t here to judge; she’d leave that up to God.

But that doesn’t mean she played it safe. Not in her words or in her music. People weren’t writing songs about dying by suicide because they were pregnant in 1968 (or really now, 60 years later), but Parton was. In “The Bridge,” a women jumped off a bridge where she and her lover had first kissed after he abandoned her when she became pregnant. Even more heartbreaking is 1969’s “Down From Dover,” about a pregnant teen whose parents send her away and her baby dies while being born — because, the protagonist reckons, the baby knew the father was never coming back. That one got banned from the radio. (By the today’s far right definition, she was “woke” — but not even the far right was ever going to cancel Dolly.)

She had a unique blend of savvy and sensitivity, knowing when the right thing for her business was also just the right thing in general. In 2018, she renamed her Dixie Stampede dinner attraction Dolly Parton’s Stampede because she became aware the word “Dixie” and its associations with the Confederacy could be hurtful to some.

“When they said ‘Dixie’ was an offensive word, I thought, ‘Well, I don’t want to offend anybody,” she told Billboard in a 2020 cover interview. “This is a business. We’ll just call it The Stampede.’ As soon as you realize that [something] is a problem, you should fix it. Don’t be a dumbass. That’s where my heart is. I would never dream of hurting anybody on purpose.”

In that same interview, she was ready when asked about the Black Lives Matter movement and was unequivocal in her support of peaceful protests: “I understand people having to make themselves known and felt and seen,” she said. “And of course Black lives matter. Do we think our little white asses are the only ones that matter? No!”

In my more than 30 years as a journalist, I have never had a line from a story picked up as much as her “little white asses” comment, though Billboard deliberately didn’t lead with it or put it in the headline. Other artists may have backed down or said they were misquoted, but not Dolly.

So many artists, especially young ones, could learn from Parton about professionalism. Parton’s publicists never asked for questions in advance or said any topics were off limits — because Parton knew how to handle herself, and though petite, was hardly delicate.

She was also freakishly punctual. One time I had a 6:00 a.m. interview with Parton. I commented about it being so early, and she chided me for thinking that 6:00 a.m. was early, since she normally got up by 4:00 a.m. We had exactly 10 minutes. She was still answering a question when we rounded the 10-minute mark. She finished around 10 minutes and 15 seconds in, and immediately told me we had run over and she had to go. I still got enough from that 10-minute interview to write two pieces with no overlap at all.

Parton leaves behind more than 3,000 songs — one of which, “Jolene,” Billboard editors picked as the Best Country Song of All Time. (Which was just one year after the editors chose Parton as the Greatest Country Artist of All Time.) But her legacy is so much more than even that. Her Imagination Library provided free monthly books to children from birth to age five for more than 30 years, serving more than 3 million kids.  She gave $1 million to Vanderbilt University to help develop the COVID-19 vaccine. Here’s how trusted she was to do the right thing: In 2022, Jeff Bezos and his wife, through their Bezos Courage and Civility Award, gave Dolly Parton $100 million to donate to the non-profits and charities she chose.

In my office, I have a painting of Dolly with the initials WWDD, short for What Would Dolly Do? Now that she’s gone, those are words to live by now more than ever.

Lil Nas X is trying to keep a positive attitude since getting out of rehab.

The rapper and singer posted an Instagram Reel telling fans that everyone has been treating him very well since he came from a recent rehab stint.

“Ever since I got out of rehab, like, everybody’s, like, OD nice to me,” he said jokingly. “I can be like, ‘Hey!’ Everybody’s gonna be like, ‘Oh my God, you’re so brave.’ I can try to post a thirst trap on my Instagram Story, and then it’s gonna be somebody like, ‘Keep fighting, King.’”

In keeping with his newfound positivity, he posted an Instagram Story holding a cake to celebrate his 10,000th day on planet Earth and poked fun at the people that may not make it to day 10,000. “So, tomorrow is my 10,000th day alive and I made it,” he said. “A lot of you won’t make it, but I made it.”

Back in June, Nas posted an IG Reel to give his fans and followers an update of where he’s been.

“I’ve been in rehab for a few months,” he said. “Since then I’ve been back home, whether its in Atlanta with my family or in Los Angeles with myself, friends, and what not. And trying to ground myself down to Earth and get out of my head. I have a therapist now and a psychiatrist which is really helpful.”

He added that he originally was in denial about being bipolar. “When I got my bipolar disorder diagnosis,” he began. “I feel like I had known for like the past few year but I didn’t want to admit to it ’cause I didn’t want to have to take medication and I don’t know, have people think different of me. I mean, I’m already Black and gay, like damn, God, come on. Black. gay, bipolar, I’mm like living life on like extreme hard mode.”

Lil Nas X found himself in legal trouble when he was charged with four felonies after allegedly attacking police while walking the streets of L.A. naked. According to Variety, he’ll have his charges dismissed if he continues mental health treatment.

Lauren London is set to play Snoop Dogg’s mother, Beverly Tate, in the upcoming Snoop biopic, according to Deadline. The Universal Pictures film is coming to U.S. theaters on Aug. 6, 2027.

It wouldn’t be Snoop Dogg’s complete rap story without 2Pac, and The Hollywood Reporter revealed on Tuesday (Aug. 25) that Panic actor Camron Jones is slated to play Snoop’s Death Row running mate.

Hustle & Flow‘s Craig Brewer is directing the biopic, which has cast Outerbanks star Jonathan Daviss as Snoop Dogg and BMF‘s Myle Bullock Be in the role of Dr. Dre.

Beverly Tate had a profound impact on Snoop’s career. In addition to being his mother, she worked as a director in the local church choir and began calling her son Snoopy, based on the dog from the TV show Peanuts.

Snoop Dogg and 2Pac’s careers crossed paths while dominating rap as superstars leading Suge Knight’s Death Row Records in the mid-’90s. They teamed up for hits like “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted.” Snoop also had the honor of inducting Pac into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.

Lauren London and Snoop have history as well, as the West Coast rap legend previously enlisted the ATL actress to appear in his and Pharrell’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot” music video, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 2004.

London’s partner, the late Nipsey Hussle, was actually offered to play Snoop Dogg in 2015’s N.W.A. biopic, but Hussle ultimately turned Straight Outta Compton down and the role went to LaKeith Stanfield.

As far as her recent work, Lauren London starred in You People in 2023 and made an appearance in Tyler, The Creator’s “Darling, I” music video last year.

Find Snoop Dogg and Death Row Pictures’ post confirming Lauren London’s role below.