Devastated Dolly Parton fans’ tears at Tennessee mansion as they reveal how ‘wonderful lady’ changed their lives forever

IT felt like the whole of Brentwood, Tennessee, was in mourning for Dolly Parton yesterday as her music played out of every shop, bar and restaurant. The Sun visited the country legend’s ranch where she spent her last days — and tears were in almost everyone’s eyes as they told us what she meant to them. Heartbroken Dolly Parton fans gathered outside her Tennessee mansion to pay their respects Credit: Jeff Rayner/Coleman-Rayner Dolly died aged 80 on the 25th of August Credit: handout Stuntwoman Chelsea Weuter, 41, made the six-hour trip on her motorbike from Georgia while listening to a playlist of the chart-topper’s hits. She said: “I wanted to lay flowers at a place where Dolly loved. She loved this home and we love her. Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter Thank you! “Who doesn’t love Dolly? She was the coolest woman.” Outside Dolly’s home, flowers are resting alongside gifts, posters, notes and balloons from devastated fans who have travelled across the US. READ MORE ON DOLLY PARTON We lay her favourite yellow roses and a card that read: “Dear Dolly. Hope there is comfort knowing that someone so loved will always be remembered. With love from The Sun.” Despite sadness at her death on Tuesday, there was an air of celebration of her life. The star would have been delighted to know that nearly every driver who passed her home stopped to nod their head or give a wave. Others blared out I Will Always Love You and Coat Of Many Colors from their speakers, while some, with their windows down, belted out the songs at the tops of their voices. Most read in Fabulous Fans who were outside Dolly’s 23-room house — where she had lived with husband Carl Dean from 1999 until his death last year — jiggled to the catchy songs as one proclaimed: “What a talented lady.” Dolly’s favourite song, If We Never Meet Again (This Side Of Heaven), recorded by Johnny Cash, will be performed at her funeral, The Sun has learned — and she will be buried in her signature high heels and a cotton dress. When The Sun told fans outside her home about her funeral plans, one mourner said with a laugh: “Of course she would be buried in heels. I would expect no less from Dolly.” The variety of mourners’ tributes to Dolly showed how she touched many people in different ways. Mourners gather before a mural to the world famous singer Credit: Reuters Mandy Madson, wearing a Dolly-inspired wig, takes a selfie at a makeshift memorial outside the Brentwood mansion Credit: AP Craig, 64, and Lisa Ratterman, 62, took a snap of their two-year-old grandson Oliver with one of the books he gets delivered every month from Dolly’s gifting scheme Imagination Library. Lisa said: “Children get a free book every month until they start school.“We are both big fans and have lived here all our lives. “She was a wonderful lady who cared about the community. “Oliver’s love for reading developed because of her.” Jessica Hornsby, 37, brought her little niece dressed in pink — Dolly’s favourite colour — with a white ribbon in her hair as a nod to the country icon. Jessica told us: “I wanted her to have this memory of being here and having this picture for ever. Dolly’s music will always live on.” Jason Denton, 52, and Sherry Gilleland, 57, travelled five hours from Illinois just to lay flowers. In floods of tears, Sherry said: “She knew us by name. We went to every concert. She helped me and my husband get married at one of her resorts.” But with the sun shining, it felt like friends gathering together rather than strangers as they swapped tales about Dolly. Ken Hicks, 70, held a snap of him and the star decades ago when he met her while working on a country music show. He said: “She was so down to earth. I remember thinking people won’t believe I’ve met her as her skin was so perfect she looked like a waxwork in the photo. Three things about her I always tell people. She came from nothing, she was an incredible businesswoman and she always stayed true to her roots.” As the day went on, more and more people visited the site — even workers in high-vis jackets popped by on their lunch break. One woman said she would visit every day for a week and that there will be so many flowers by the end there would be no room to walk on the street. A US flag behind the gates of Dolly’s home has been flown at half-mast in honour of her life. President Donald Trump has asked for all flags across America to be lowered for a week as a mark of respect to the singer. Meanwhile, at a secluded church where Dolly prayed in peace during the days leading up to her death, a gardener told us: “Dolly would sit in there. “It has a white seat out front along with a concrete statue of Jesus Christ. “It was her place of solitude where she could think and be alone. She loved it.” There is also a small graveyard that has three plaques in the soil for her deceased dogs, including Cracker Jack, the stray who she wrote about in the 1974 song of the same name.. Craig, 64, and Lisa Ratterman, 62, took a snap of their grandson Oliver with one of the books he gets delivered every month from Dolly’s gifting scheme Imagination Library Credit: Jeff Rayner/Coleman-Rayner One woman said she would visit every day for a week and that there will be so many flowers by the end there would be no room to walk on the street Credit: Jeff Rayner/Coleman-Rayner The gardener added: “That’s the kind of woman she was. Even her pets were special to her. “She had a Boston terrier named Popeye buried there and her childhood friend Cracker Jack.” The stray was Dolly’s childhood friend and she wrote her 1974 tune of the same name about him. The gardener added: “She would visit the graveyard to meditate and find inspiration for songwriting.” With tears in his eyes, fan Robin Humphries, 67, said: “I would often see her scooting around in a pink golf cart with her big blonde hair and big smile. She would wink at me and I thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. “I am just heartbroken.” Dolly died aged 80 while surrounded by her family at a cancer centre in the city after being admitted on Friday following months of ill health. It followed a series of cancellations by the superstar who had postponed and then called off a six-show Las Vegas run in May. Dolly will be laid to rest during a small, private service for immediate family at the Woodlawn Memorial Park, where her husband Carl is buried. Stuntwoman Chelsea Weuter, 41, made the six-hour trip from Georgia to a playlist of the chart-topper’s hits Credit: Jeff Rayner/Coleman-Rayner Dolly’s favourite song, If We Never Meet Again (This Side Of Heaven), recorded by Johnny Cash, will be performed at her funeral Credit: Getty A note was left on her gate which read: “Fly high, Dolly. We will always love you.” There was also a painting of the singer and butterfly balloons. One card — left by “God” — had the message: “Welcome home Dolly.“The angels are singing, joy bells are ringing, Dolly is home.” And it wasn’t just at her home where we felt the love. Dolly’s voice can be heard in every corner of Tennessee, with her country twang being listened to by young and old, as they go to work, school and catch public transport. Her 1980 song 9 to 5 was being played from the speakers of a bus as passengers got on. And many touching memorials have been set up in public places. It’s certainly going to take a long time for this place to let go of the Southern joy that was the one and only Dolly Parton. Harry’s thanks at gig By Scarlet Howes Harry Styles paid tribute to Dolly Parton while performing in New York. The former One Direction star told fans that the country music favourite was an inspiration. Harry said at his gig on Wednesday night: “I want to say a proper thank you to all the musicians over the years that have inspired me. “Dolly, we love you – thank you so much.” The crowd at Madison Square Garden responded with loud cheers, and Dolly’s hit I Will Always Love You was played. Harry didn’t sing along but he asked the audience to dance to the song as the venue filled with lights from fans holding up their phones. John Mayer also paid tribute to Dolly with the same song during his own show on the same night in New York. The singer-songwriter closed his set with an instrumental guitar version of I Will Always Love You – made famous by Whitney Houston in her 1992 film The Bodyguard – before playing his hit Gravity. Comment now