US singer and songwriter Dolly Parton arrives for the 57th Academy of Country Music awards at the Allegiant stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 7, 2022. [AFP]
A deeply divided America united Tuesday in grief at the news that country music legend Dolly Parton had died.
The singer, long heralded as one of the few celebrities that everybody loved, was mourned by figures across the entertainment world, and by politicians on both sides of the political spectrum.
President Donald Trump announced the lowering of flags across the United States for a week for Parton, calling her death a "true loss for millions of people."
"Very sad to report that Dolly Parton, one of the greatest Country singers, and far beyond, EVER, has just passed away," Trump posted on his Truth Social network. "There has never been anyone like her, and never will."
Trump appointee, US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, an evangelical pastor and avid musician, said news of Parton's death made him "genuinely sad."
"I interviewed @DollyParton for my TV show & she was the gracious & beautiful lady in person as she was on stage or screen. Humble, kind, & generous. One of a kind!"
Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer wrote simply: "Rest in peace, Dolly Parton -- a true legend and force for good. May her memory be a blessing."