Stevie Nicks Remembers Dolly Parton, Set to Play Rodrigo's Festival This Weekend
Dolly Parton died August 25 in Nashville, Tennessee, at age 80. Her nephew Bryan Seaver announced the news via a pre-recorded video on her social accounts, and her management confirmed to CBS that Parton passed at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by family, following a brief cancer battle whose specifics were not disclosed. Stevie Nicks, who collaborated with Parton, published a lengthy tribute and is set to perform this Saturday, August 29, 2026, at the Daisy Chains Festival in Irvine, California.
The week that made "Rockstar"
Nicks appeared on Parton's 2023 album Rockstar, dueting on "What Has Rock and Roll Ever Done for You," a song Nicks wrote. In her tribute, she recalled spending a week in Nashville with Parton to record the track, calling it the "best week ever."
Nicks described the week as a masterclass, saying she tried to absorb everything like a sponge — learning came easy because Parton was such a good teacher, and all she had to do was listen closely. She also noted Parton's determination to make a rock record: Parton had said she could become a rock star, and Nicks watched her do it, adding that Parton's list of rock songs she still wanted to sing was far from finished.
Nicks also shared a handwritten poem, opening with "Dolly, Dolly, Dolly," touching on rock and country and taking those songs all the way to heaven to sing for whoever she meets there. It closes with the lines "there will never be another you" and "I will always love you," signed "Love Love Love, Stevie."
Tributes from across the industry
Paul McCartney, who also appeared on Rockstar — joining Parton and Ringo Starr on a cover of the Beatles' "Let It Be" — said after the news broke that he was grateful for the music Parton left him and the world, writing, "You were the best."
Parton's godchild Miley Cyrus wrote that she will always love her and wants to make her proud, and that everyone carrying this loss together will see her again in all the most beautiful things.
Daisy Chains Festival: an all-female lineup
This Saturday, August 29, 2026, Nicks performs at the Daisy Chains Festival, organized by Olivia Rodrigo, in Irvine, California. The day's all-female lineup includes:
- Stevie Nicks
- Chappell Roan
- Bikini Kill
- Doechii
- Mitski
- The Breeders
- Garbage
- Katseye
- Santigold
- Rachel Chinouriri
- Not for Radio
- Die Spitz
- Quiet Light
- Eli
- Karen O
Practical details
- Date: Saturday, August 29, 2026
- Venue/city: Irvine, California, USA
- Ticket price: not yet announced
Tribute reporting compiled by Far Out Magazine.