Lainey Wilson Reveals What Dolly Parton Told Her During Their Final Phone Call Just Weeks Before Her Death

Lainey Wilson is reflecting on her friendship with Dolly Parton. In the wake of Parton’s death, Wilson took to Instagram to pay tribute to her.

“I felt like you were my friend before we even met,” Wilson wrote. “You made everybody feel that way. But once we became friends, boy did we have a lot to talk about.”

Wilson went on to reveal that she and Parton last spoke a couple of weeks ago.

“We got to talk about the business, the sacrifice, how special Carl Dean was to you and how important Duck is to me,” Wilson recalled of her husband. “You told me that ‘it’s all great and stuff that Duck lets you be you, but you better make sure you let Duck be himself too.’”

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During that chat, Parton also told Wilson “to take my time reading the book of Revelation and that I might need to go on back to Psalms for a minute to catch my breath.”

“We talked about how we both feel like we were called into this business and you told me you felt like you weren’t finished,” Wilson shared. “Well my friend, you are not. The kind of love and light you shined in your lifetime is the kind that never goes away.”

Wilson continued by addressing Parton directly, writing, “I am thankful the Lord gave you a gift, you decided to share it, and the Lord decided to share you with us.”

“I can’t wait to see you again and I know when I hug your neck in heaven someday you are still gonna be saying, ‘Don’t mess up hair, Lainey girl,’” she concluded. “I will always love you, my friend.”

What to Know About Dolly Parton

Wilson’s touching tribute came the same week that Parton died. The country legend passed away after a short battle with cancer. She was 80.

Wilson was right about Parton’s work not being done. The day after her death, the “Jolene” singer’s team revealed that there are still many Parton-related projects in the works.

“Ever the planner, Dolly worked with the team that she handpicked, for the past several years to build a project roadmap that will guide us for decades to come,” Parton’s longtime manager, Danny Nozell, said. “… If you see unreleased music, products, books, experiences, and campaigns launched through official Dolly Parton channels, you can have confidence in knowing that she placed her personal stamp on it.”

Among the forthcoming projects are Parton’s Nashville hotel and museum, as well as jewelry, pet, and home products.

A Parton-themed avatar show is also in the works. Additionally, a documentary on Parton’s Broadway musical, a biopic, a docuseries, a scripted series, and a Billy The Kid animated series are all in the pipeline.

Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for American Greetings