Eminem paid tribute to Dolly Parton by sharing a private, handwritten note the country legend had sent him years earlier, even though the two artists never met in person.
The two music icons were both inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November 2022, and it was around that time that Parton reached out to Eminem. He held onto the note until her death this week, when he finally made it public.
In the letter, Parton offered warm praise for a genre outside her own wheelhouse. “Even though I don’t know a lot about rap music, I’ve come to know that you are the very best at it,” she wrote. “I have always felt some unexplained connection to you like I know you somehow.” She addressed it to “Marshall (Eminem),” complimented his induction performance, and expressed hope that they would one day cross paths.
“In the meantime, keep doing what you’re doing because you do it so well,” she closed, “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. With love & respect, Dolly Parton.”
Eminem posted the letter to Instagram after news of Parton’s death broke, adding his own message of gratitude. “I’m sorry we never got a chance to meet, but getting this note from Dolly really had a an impact on me. She definitely didn’t have to take the time to do it,” he wrote. “Even for a kid who mostly listened to rap music, she was an icon. Rest easy Dolly. And thank you for the kind words.”
Parton died Tuesday, August 25, at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, surrounded by loved ones, after a brief battle with cancer. She was 80.
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