Carrie Underwood admitted Dolly Parton’s death was a shock that created ripples throughout the world.
The “American Idol” judge was overcome with emotion as she honored the late country music icon during her debut performance Saturday at the Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, Mass.
Underwood, 43, told her audience that Parton was a “huge influence to so many of us, but just one of the nicest people I think I’ve ever met.”
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“It was such a shock, I feel like just the whole world, like could feel the ripples, like time just stood still, and it was just like… what?” Underwood said in a video circulating online.
“She’s just the one that transcends all space and all time.”
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She added, “I feel like she was just out there with the brightest smile on her face up until the very last day… and that’s something that I feel like we can all learn from. She is gone, but she’s not forgotten.”
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With one finger pointed up toward the sky, Underwood said, “I know where she is, and I know how much she loved Jesus.”
The “Jesus Take the Wheel” singer asked the audience to take out their phones and “light this place up” in honor of Dolly before dedicating “See You Again” to the late country legend.
Underwood recognized Parton’s longtime devotion to her faith while remembering Dolly on social media following her death.
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“She’s not gone. I know exactly where she is,” Underwood wrote on Instagram last week. “She was the epitome of faith, grace, talent, beauty and humor. She had a humble heart for Jesus and made everyone around her feel special.
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“She was probably the one person on planet Earth that everyone loved and could agree on. She was a one of one and no one will ever come close. It’s alright to be sad that this world lost a legend, but heaven gained an angel. Well done, good and faithful Dolly. Welcome home.”
Parton died peacefully in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday following a brief battle with cancer, according to a press release. She was surrounded by loved ones at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.
“Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched,” her team said in a statement.
“Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand.”
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They added, “Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact.”
Beyond music, Parton built a business empire in her home state of Tennessee, with Dollywood becoming one of the state’s most popular attractions. Her charitable work through the Dollywood Foundation and Imagination Library also left an indelible mark on many.
