Tributes to the iconic Dolly Parton continue to come in from all over the globe in the aftermath of the announcement of the beloved Tennessee native's passing on Tuesday at the age of 80.
As we previously reported, though Parton had given glimpses into some health battles she'd faced in recent months after having to scale back public appearances, it wasn't known until after Tuesday the extent of what the legendary country music singer and philanthropist had been going through.
"After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones," her publicist said in a statement.
It still doesn't seem real that she's gone, and honestly, the world just doesn't feel the same now that Dolly Parton is no longer here to help light it up with her special kind of sunshine and paint it in all the beautiful colors of a rainbow, with a touch of glitter and rhinestones, of course.
Dolly's flashy, country-glam style and big hair were always a huge hit with her fans, some of whom went on to be impersonators, like Kelly Vohnn, a Las Vegas resident who has been impersonating Dolly and other female superstars for over 30 years.
But though Vohnn was, like the rest of us, shocked and saddened over the loss of Dolly Parton, nothing prepared her for the news that CNN had inadvertently used a picture of her in their tribute coverage of Dolly:
CNN was forced to apologize to Dolly Parton’s family for mistakenly using a photo of a Las Vegas impersonator of the country music legend while reporting on her death.
The cable news network aired an image of tribute artist Kelly Vohnn as it covered Parton’s Tuesday death from cancer — leaving the 58-year-old Vohnn stunned as friends began bombarding her with messages.
The errant image were broadcast during “Laura Coates Live” some 12 hours after Parton’s death was announced by her family.
“We regret the error and apologize to the Parton family,” CNN told The Post in a brief Thursday statement.
Vohnn told the NY Post that she "felt so sorry and apologetic for Dolly, because over her career there are so many wonderful images and moments that they could have chosen from — and CNN just picked something not appropriate."
🚨 UPDATE: CNN was just forced to APOLOGIZE for using the wrong image of Dolly Parton after she passed away at 80 — NYP
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 27, 2026
CNN displayed this photo of a Dolly Parton impersonator, named Kelly Vohnn
“We regret the error and apologize to the Parton family."
It's always CNN. pic.twitter.com/KFGxlYhcI5
The thing about all this is, while it was embarrassing for CNN, I have a feeling that if Dolly Parton were here to see this, she'd be getting a good laugh over it and then would have her reps arrange a public appearance with Vohnn at CNN, where they would perform together and have a good time wowing the crowd while making light of what happened.
Because that's who Dolly Parton was.
She knew how to hold her own and stick up for herself, but she also wasn't one to take herself and her celebrity status so seriously that she couldn't acknowledge an honest flub or mistake and turn it into a positive, uplifting moment, whether it was a mistake she made or someone else.
"I just loved [butterflies] because they were colorful and gentle. I just kinda related to them with my own personality," she told W magazine in a 2021 interview. "I wasn't out to hurt anybody. I didn't wanna bite, didn't wanna sting, and I still don't. I just kinda claimed them as my little symbol."
A fellow fan 🦋
— Dagpauwoog (@Dagpauwoog1) August 26, 2026
Dolly Parton reflects on her lifelong connection to butterflies and how they hold personal significance for her.
Dolly loved butterflies because they don't sting or bite, and she didn't want to hurt anyone either. pic.twitter.com/DzknUmZ7QV
God bless her. We need more people like her in this world. Badly.
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