Reba McEntire Missed Dolly Parton's Final Call Before Her Death — SkimNews
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- Dolly Parton called Reba McEntire in late July, shortly before dying Aug. 25 after a "brief battle" with cancer, but McEntire missed the call because she was in a meeting.
- McEntire told Entertainment Tonight she tried to get back in touch with Parton but "never made a connection," adding, "I'll never know why she called me."
- McEntire and Parton collaborated on a cover of "Does He Love You" for McEntire's 2021 album and co-hosted the 2019 CMA Awards together.
- McEntire recently performed an emotional cover of "Appalachian Memories" as a tribute to Parton at the Emmys.
- McEntire posted a tribute on X after Parton's death, writing that Parton "passed onto the higher and greater side" and signing off with "I will always love you, Reba."
Why it matters: McEntire's account adds an intimate, unresolved personal dimension to Parton's final weeks — a missed call between two country music icons whose decades-long friendship produced collaborations like "Does He Love You" and the 2019 CMA Awards co-hosting gig. The unanswered question of why Parton reached out underscores how even well-connected peers were shut out of her private health battle during her brief, undisclosed cancer fight.
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