Trump Declares Week-Long US Flag Tribute for Dolly Parton

Kehinde Adeleye

US President Donald Trump has ordered American flags to be flown at half-staff nationwide in honour of country music legend Dolly Parton, who died on Tuesday at the age of 80.

Parton’s family announced her death in a video shared on social media, bringing an end to the career of one of America’s most celebrated singers, actresses, businesswomen and philanthropists.

Reacting to her death, Trump described Parton’s passing as a major loss to millions of people.

“There has never been anyone like her, and never will,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

The president said the American flag would be lowered across the United States for one week, beginning at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, in honour of the late music icon.

“Rest in Peace, Dolly! The World loves you,” Trump added.

Parton was one of the most successful figures in country music, with a career spanning more than six decades.

She wrote hundreds of songs, including classics such as “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “I Will Always Love You.” She also sold more than 100 million records worldwide and amassed more than one billion online streams.

Her rise to global fame was shaped by her humble beginnings as one of 12 children raised in what she described as a “dirt poor” family in Tennessee.