Paul McCartney Honors Dolly Parton With Heartfelt Farewell: “There Was No Greater Honor” Than Hearing Her Sing “Let It Be”
Paul McCartney has joined the many artists mourning Dolly Parton, remembering the country legend not only for her extraordinary music but also for the warmth, generosity and unmistakable spirit he witnessed across more than five decades.
Following Parton’s death on August 25 at the age of 80, the former Beatle shared a deeply personal tribute, calling her a “magnificent star” and reflecting on everything from their first meeting at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry to their eventual collaboration on one of the Beatles’ most enduring songs.
For McCartney, one memory carried particular significance: hearing Dolly record his own “Let It Be.”
Paul McCartney remembers meeting Dolly before her solo superstardom
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McCartney’s tribute included vintage photographs from his first encounter with Parton in Nashville in the mid-1970s.
At the time, McCartney was visiting the Grand Ole Opry with his family when he met Parton and her longtime musical partner Porter Wagoner. Dolly was already an established country performer but was standing on the verge of the solo career that would eventually transform her into an international star.
McCartney remembered her from those early days as remarkably vibrant — “so bubbly and full of life.”
That memory made the news of her death particularly difficult for him to absorb.
“The magnificent star Dolly Parton has died and it is so sad,” McCartney wrote in his tribute.
Looking back at the career that followed their first meeting, he praised three qualities in particular: Parton’s songwriting, her singing and her philanthropy, describing their combined impact within country music as “unrivaled.”
From the Grand Ole Opry to “Let It Be”
Decades after that first encounter, the paths of the two music legends crossed again in a way McCartney clearly treasured.
Parton recorded the Beatles classic “Let It Be” for her 2023 rock album, Rockstar. Instead of simply covering the song, she assembled an extraordinary group of musicians for her version.
McCartney appeared on the recording alongside his former Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr, while Peter Frampton and Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood also contributed.
For an artist who has heard his songs interpreted countless times over the decades, McCartney said Dolly taking on “Let It Be” meant something special.
“There was no greater honor for me than to have her sing my song ‘Let It Be,’” he wrote.
Although McCartney described his own role in the recording as small, he said he felt deeply honored that Parton had chosen to record the song at all.
McCartney celebrates Dolly the songwriter, singer and businesswoman
McCartney’s remembrance went well beyond their musical connection.
He praised Parton as an exceptionally intelligent businesswoman who understood both the value of her work and the extraordinary influence she held over people around the world.
That distinction mattered. Dolly’s legacy was not simply built upon famous recordings such as “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You.” Her career also encompassed decades of philanthropy and an ability to transform her fame into projects that reached far beyond the entertainment industry.
McCartney’s tribute reflected that broader picture of Parton: an artist whose talent made her famous, but whose understanding of what that fame could accomplish became another important part of her legacy.
“It is hard to imagine living in a world without Dolly”
Perhaps the most poignant part of McCartney’s message was his admission that Parton had become such an enduring presence that imagining music without her now felt difficult.
Their careers came from very different musical worlds — McCartney emerging from Liverpool with the Beatles and Parton rising from rural Tennessee to become one of country music’s defining singer-songwriters.
Yet their stories eventually intersected, first through a meeting in Nashville and decades later through “Let It Be.”
McCartney said he was proud to have known her and to have witnessed her unique gifts.
His farewell ended with gratitude for everything Parton had given listeners during her remarkable career.
“Thanks Dolly for the beautiful music you gave me and the whole world,” he wrote, before adding a final message of love and remembrance: “You were the best.”
Following Parton’s death, tributes have poured in from across music and entertainment, with artists including Reba McEntire, Kacey Musgraves, Sheryl Crow and many others remembering her influence, generosity and singular personality.
But McCartney’s remembrance carries its own special resonance: two legendary songwriters whose careers helped shape entirely different corners of popular music, ultimately connected by friendship, mutual admiration — and a song called “Let It Be.”