Kacey Musgraves Calls Dolly Parton's Loss a Collective Grief

Kacey Musgraves says the death of Dolly Parton has left people grieving together. The country singer made the remarks in an interview with People, the magazine that put her on its latest cover, and Billboard reported what she said. Parton died on Aug. 25 at the age of 80.

Musgraves told People she was lucky to be around Parton several times. She described her as humble, funny, professional and warm. The loss, she said, was a collective grief, and it showed how hungry people are for a true matriarch, a figure who holds a family or community together.

Her most vivid comparison was to the children's television host Fred Rogers. Musgraves described Parton as almost like Mister Rogers times a billion, or Mister Rogers wearing rhinestones. She also said Parton is probably the closest thing the United States has to American royalty.

Musgraves went further, saying Parton bridged worlds. She put her alongside Willie Nelson and Snoop Dogg as artists who connected people from different corners of music and found common ground. In her telling, Parton was someone who brought strangers into the same room.

The two have shared stages before. Musgraves and Parton performed together at the Grammy Awards in 2019. Musgraves also honored Parton at the MTV Video Music Awards with a performance of Parton's song "I Will Always Love You."

Musgraves also talked to People about her new album, Middle of Nowhere, and how her personal life shaped it. The record is nominated for album of the year at the CMA Awards, the Country Music Association's annual show, which takes place on Nov. 18. Musgraves has five nominations in total for this year's ceremony.

For fans, the interview is a reminder of how Parton's influence reached beyond her own records. Musgraves, who is nominated for the top award in country music this month, chose to talk about Parton first. The ceremony on Nov. 18 will be the next time the two names are linked in public, this time through the awards.