Karen Hunter remembered Dolly Parton this week as far more than a country music legend, paying tribute to the singer’s generosity, business savvy and decades of giving back after news of her death at 80.
Speaking on “The Karen Hunter Show” on SiriusXM Urban View, Hunter said she was preparing for the program when she learned Parton had died.
“I was like, OK, so I guess Jesus is coming back because she’s one of the good ones,” said Hunter. “She’s one of the good ones. She’s a true accomplice, a true ally, somebody that stood on business.”
Hunter also praised Parton as a “generous spirit” and “somebody that I felt like could definitely get a plate if we’re giving out plates.”
The host reflected on Parton’s life after her husband, Carl Dean, died in March 2025. The couple had been married for nearly 60 years. Hunter recalled Parton recently sharing that she had been dealing with health problems she put aside while caring for Dean.
“At some point, I guess you’d be like, ‘You know what? I can’t fight anymore,’” Hunter said before adding, “I just want to wish Dolly Parton safe passage to the other side.”
Hunter recalled watching the 2019 documentary “Dolly Parton: Here I Am” during the pandemic.
“I’ve always kind of been drawn to her. This woman has been incredible.”
Hunter also reflected on how Parton was often reduced to jokes about her appearance in the 1980s and 1990s but became impossible to dismiss as merely a punchline or simply a country singer.
“She invented herself. She was very intentional about crafting an image. She did that on purpose, and she poked fun at herself, but she was a brilliant businesswoman,” Hunter shared before revisiting Parton’s prolific songwriting, including “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You,” which became a blockbuster hit for Whitney Houston. The Pulitzer winner praised Parton for later investing some of the royalties from Houston’s version in a predominantly Black Nashville neighborhood.
“She didn’t have to take those proceeds, some of them, and invest in the Black community. But she thought it was the right thing to do.”
The tribute became more emotional when a caller named Aubrey told Hunter she had admired Parton since childhood and once met her at a Pride event. Aubrey said she left work early after hearing the news because she could not stop crying.
“Why apologize for being a human being?” Hunter told her. “Lean into it. We’re here on this Earth together. You should be feeling some things.”
Hunter also cited Parton’s Imagination Library, which provides free books to children, as another example of her impact.
“Dolly Parton’s passing is leaving a hole in so many people’s hearts and lives,” Hunter continued, before imploring listeners to carry some of that generosity forward.
“You could do something nice for the people around you. Dolly Parton deserves her name to be spoken over and over again because that’s the other way that we keep her alive.”
Listen to Karen Hunter’s touching tribute above.
