John Foster Adds Emotional New Lyrics to “Tell That Angel I Love Her” in Honor of Dolly Parton
John Foster has found another deeply personal way to honor Dolly Parton.
The American Idol Season 23 runner-up recently added a new chorus to his original song “Tell That Angel I Love Her,” transforming a song he first wrote to remember two friends into a tribute to Dolly following her death.
Foster shared a video of himself performing the new lyrics on social media, explaining that the words came to him after seeing the outpouring of grief and love for the country music legend.
The moment carries particular weight because “Tell That Angel I Love Her” was already one of the most personal songs of Foster’s young career.
The Story Behind “Tell That Angel I Love Her”
Foster rose to national attention during Season 23 of American Idol in 2025. He ultimately finished as the runner-up, with Jamal Roberts taking the season’s championship.
One of Foster’s defining performances came when he sang his original song “Tell That Angel I Love Her.” He had written the song in memory of his friends Maggie Dunn and Caroline Gill, who were killed in a car accident on December 31, 2022.
Dunn and Gill were killed when former Addis police officer David Cauthron ran a red light while pursuing a suspect and crashed into their vehicle. The tragedy became the inspiration for Foster’s song, which he performed with visible emotion on American Idol.
The performance resonated with viewers because Foster never tried to hide the grief behind the song. He became emotional as he finished the performance, making it clear that the song was far more than another competition number.
Since then, “Tell That Angel I Love Her” has become closely associated with Foster and the story of Maggie and Caroline. The song was also released as his debut single following his American Idol run.
Foster Writes a New Chorus for Dolly
After Dolly Parton’s death, Foster decided to revisit the song and add a new section specifically for her.
The new chorus connects Dolly’s signature sparkle and her voice with the grief felt by fans around the world:
“Sure the sun will come up,
And like her rhinestones, it will shine,
But what we’d give to hear her sweet voice,
Sing just one more time.
Each tear that falls around the world,
Says ‘we’ll miss you,’ from afar.
Lord, won’t you tell that angel,
We will always love her,
As y’all live in the stars.”
Foster explained that the lyrics came to him shortly after Dolly passed away, as he watched people share memories and tributes across social media.
He also felt that Maggie and Caroline would not have minded him adding another chorus to their song for someone they almost certainly loved as well.
“The lyrics in this video came to me shortly after Dolly passed, after seeing so many wonderful posts about her from so many grieving people, and I figured that Maggie and Caroline wouldn’t mind me writing another chorus of their song about someone I’m sure they both loved, and now get to have with them.”
He ended the message with another heartfelt thought:
“Lord, tell those 3 angels, and all other loved ones that we’ve lost, that we love them!”
For Foster, the tribute brings together two very different chapters of his life. The original song was born from the loss of Maggie and Caroline, while the new lyrics allow him to mourn Dolly through the same piece of music.
John Foster Also Covered “I Will Always Love You”
The new lyrics were not Foster’s first musical tribute to Dolly.
Shortly after her death, he shared a performance of “I Will Always Love You,” Dolly’s beloved composition. The song has long been closely associated with Parton, and Foster’s decision to sing it offered another way for him to express his admiration.
The performance drew a strong response from fans, many of whom praised Foster’s rendition and said they believed Dolly would have been proud of it.
At the time of the original article, the video had surpassed 775,000 views.
Dolly’s passing has prompted tributes from across the music world, but Foster’s carry an especially personal quality because they come through songs about love, loss and remembrance.
Dolly’s Legacy Continues Through the Imagination Library
In the wake of Dolly’s death, her family asked people who wanted to honor her to consider donating to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library rather than sending flowers.
Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1995, initially creating the program to provide children with free books. It has since expanded across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and the Republic of Ireland.
The program’s reach has grown enormously over the years, sending free books to children from birth through age five regardless of their families’ income. The organization says the program now gifts millions of books each month.
For those looking for a way to honor Dolly’s legacy, the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library remains one of the most direct ways to support the work she began in 1995.
Remembering Maggie Dunn and Caroline Gill
Foster also used his post about Dolly to point people toward organizations established in memory of Maggie Dunn and Caroline Gill.
The med Foundation was created to honor Maggie. Its mission is to support families who have experienced the devastating loss of a young loved one.
Caroline’s memory lives on through the Caroline Grace Gill Foundation, which works to assist, educate, train and support law enforcement so officers have better tools and resources to protect the communities they serve.
The organization hopes that improved technology, training and resources can help reduce the possibility of another family experiencing a tragedy like the one that took Caroline and Maggie.
In that sense, “Tell That Angel I Love Her” has grown beyond a single song written for two young women. Foster has continued using it as a way to remember people he has lost and to express love for those whose lives have touched him.
Now, with Dolly Parton added to that circle of remembrance, the song carries another deeply emotional chapter.