Eminem has revealed a private letter Dolly Parton sent him after their shared Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, as tributes pour in following the country legend’s death.
The 53-year-old rapper took to Instagram on Tuesday to share the handwritten note from Parton, 80, who died that same day at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville after what her family described as a brief battle with cancer. The two music icons had never met in person despite their parallel careers spanning decades.
“I’m sorry we never got a chance to meet, but getting this note from Dolly really had a an impact on me,” Eminem wrote on Instagram. “She definitely didn’t have to take the time to do it. Even for a kid who mostly listened to rap music, she was an icon.”
In her letter, dated after their November 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Parton had addressed him by his birth name. “Marshall (Eminem), Congratulations on your induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Your performance was amazing and everybody said so,” she wrote.
Parton continued with surprising candor about their musical differences and an inexplicable bond she felt. “Even though I don’t know a lot about rap music, I’ve come to know that you are the very best at it,” she added. “Aside from that I hope what I have to say will not seem weird or strange to you but I have always felt some unexplained connection to you like I know you somehow.”
The “Jolene” singer expressed regret that their paths hadn’t crossed at the induction event itself. “I had hoped to meet you at the show but you know how nuts those things are, personally I hate ’em and I missed my chance but maybe someday we’ll meet,” Parton wrote.
She closed with encouragement that now carries added weight. “In the meantime, keep doing what you’re doing because you do it so well and no matter how complex your world may be just know you are very special and touch people in ways you don’t even know. With love & respect, Dolly Parton.”
Eminem signed off his own tribute with equal warmth. “Rest easy Dolly. And thank you for the kind words,” he shared. “A superstar in every sense.”
Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, had announced her death in a prepared video statement his aunt had requested before her passing. “My family and I have shared a lifetime of beautiful memories with Dolly, but so have you,” Seaver said. “She has always been your television, your record player, your CD, becoming an extended part of your family. Whether you liked it or not.”
The family later confirmed the circumstances of her death in a written statement, noting she was “surrounded by loved ones” at the end.
In the viral moment that sparked Eminem’s revelation, both artists were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in the same November 2022 class, a ceremony that brought together disparate corners of the music world but failed to connect the two inductees personally. Parton’s discomfort with the chaos of such events, which she acknowledged in her letter, kept them from meeting that night despite their shared milestone.
Parton’s Broadway musical, featuring her life story and music, remains scheduled to open in New York.