Stella Parton Says Nashville Went Silent After Dolly's Death: "I Haven't Heard From Anyone"

Dolly Parton’s sister Stella Parton is speaking out about a pain that has nothing to do with the music and everything to do with the silence. In an interview on CBS Mornings with Gayle King, the 77-year-old said she has not received a single condolence message from anyone in Nashville since Dolly passed away on August 25 at age 80 after a battle with cancer.“I haven’t heard from anyone in Nashville since my sister passed away,”she said, and the words landed hard across the country music community.

Stella believes politics may be the reason. She has been vocal on social media opposing President Donald Trump, while Dolly never publicly shared her own party affiliation. Stella praised her sister for that, calling her a good businesswoman and saying Dolly was smarter than her because she told everything while Dolly kept her peace. It’s a telling contrast between two sisters who loved each other but walked very different roads.

At the heart of it all is the way Dolly lived. She once said she looked for the God-light in every person she met, and that philosophy made her belong to all of us, red and blue alike. Now her sister is grieving in public and wondering where everybody went. So we want to hear from you: if someone you disagree with is hurting, do you still reach out? Tell us in the comments.