Reba McEntire Reveals She Missed Dolly Parton’s Final Call: “I’ll Never Know Why She Called Me”
Reba McEntire has one unanswered question about Dolly Parton that she may never be able to answer.
Parton called McEntire near the end of July, but Reba was in a meeting and missed the call. She tried to reach her longtime friend afterward, but the two never managed to connect again. Weeks later, when McEntire learned that Parton had died, that missed call was one of the first things that came to mind.
“I thought, I’ll never know why she called me,” McEntire recalled in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. “So that… I’ll find out one day.”
The moment adds another deeply personal layer to the loss of Parton, who died on August 25, 2026, at age 80 after a brief battle with cancer. Her death brought an outpouring of tributes from fans and fellow entertainers, including McEntire, whose friendship with Parton stretched back nearly five decades.
Reba Still Wonders What Dolly Wanted to Say
McEntire explained that connecting with Parton had sometimes been difficult because both women had demanding schedules.
When they finally spoke before Parton’s death, however, McEntire said the conversation was especially meaningful. She knew how busy Parton was and did not want to keep her on the phone, even though she did not want the conversation to end.
Then, toward the end of July, Parton called again.
McEntire happened to be in a meeting and missed it.
She tried calling back, but the two friends never made contact again.
“When Lisa Davis, my buddy called me in the morning of the 25th and she said Dolly’s gone,” McEntire recalled, “I thought, I’ll never know why she called me. So that… I’ll find out one day.”
It is a simple detail, but one that clearly stayed with McEntire. She knew Parton loved her, and the two had shared a friendship that had endured for decades. Still, there was no way to know what Parton had wanted to say that day.
McEntire later summed up her feelings with another simple thought: “What a blessing she was for all of us.”
A Friendship That Began at the Grand Ole Opry
McEntire and Parton first met on September 17, 1977, when McEntire was making her Grand Ole Opry debut in Nashville.
McEntire was scheduled to sing two songs that night. Then she learned that one of them would have to be cut because Parton had unexpectedly arrived at the venue.
For the young singer, that was hardly disappointing news.
“I said, ‘Heck, you can have both of them if I can just meet Dolly!’” McEntire recalled in an interview with Vogue.
She has never forgotten the moment Parton walked through the backstage area in a black chiffon outfit decorated with rhinestone butterflies.
“She looked just like an angel!” McEntire said.
What began as a starstruck first meeting eventually became a decades-long friendship, with the two women crossing paths in music and television over the years.
Parton later appeared on McEntire’s sitcom Reba in 2005, playing Dolly Majors. The pair also recorded together, with Parton joining McEntire for a new version of “Does He Love You” in 2021.
Dolly Was There for Reba After the 1991 Plane Crash
Their friendship became especially meaningful during one of the darkest periods of McEntire’s life.
In 1991, a plane crash after a concert in San Diego killed eight people connected to McEntire’s touring operation, including seven band members and her tour manager.
As McEntire faced the devastating task of rebuilding her touring band, Parton offered her own musicians.
“Dolly Parton said, ‘Here, take my band,’” McEntire previously recalled. She described the gesture as a gift at a time when many people around her were dealing with broken hearts.
Parton ultimately sent her band leader, Gary Smith, to help McEntire assemble a new group.
That gesture became one of the memories McEntire carried with her throughout their friendship.
When Parton died, McEntire remembered not only the music they shared, but also the kindness she had shown her.
“Dolly, thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth,” McEntire wrote in her tribute. “Your love, your music and you gave so much with your huge huge heart. There will never ever be another you.”
She also remembered their first meeting and their last conversation, saying she would always hold both memories with love.
Reba Chose One of Dolly’s Most Personal Songs
Just weeks after Parton’s death, McEntire had another opportunity to honor her friend.
At the 2026 Primetime Emmy Awards on September 14, McEntire performed Parton’s “Appalachian Memories” as part of the ceremony’s tribute to the late singer.
The song was released in 1983 on Parton’s 25th solo studio album, Burlap & Satin. Parton had performed the song at the 1983 Emmys, making McEntire’s return to it especially meaningful.
Before McEntire appeared, the ceremony showed archival footage of Parton introducing the song herself. In that footage, Parton spoke about growing up in the Smoky Mountains and explained how personally important the song was to her.
McEntire told Vogue that “Appalachian Memories” had always been one of her favorite Parton songs.
“She wrote it about her family and I think it’s just so beautiful and perfect to honor who she was and where she came from,” McEntire said. “She always carried her upbringing with her, and I admired that. There will never be another Dolly Parton.”
A Tribute Built Around Dolly’s Own Memories
The choice of “Appalachian Memories” gave the tribute a direct connection to Parton’s childhood and family.
The song reflected the Appalachian upbringing that remained an important part of Parton’s identity and music. Bringing it back to the Emmy stage decades after Parton had performed it herself made the tribute especially personal.
McEntire also incorporated personal details into her appearance.
She wore a sparkling white gown inspired by the white outfit Parton wore when she performed “Appalachian Memories” during her 1983 Live in London special. McEntire also wore jewelry from Parton’s personal collection, including a butterfly ring and the rhinestone earrings Parton had worn in the music video for their “Does He Love You” collaboration.
The result was a tribute that connected several parts of their history: the song Parton considered meaningful, the Appalachian roots they were celebrating, the Emmy stage where Parton had performed it decades earlier, and the personal relationship between the two singers.
At the end of her performance, McEntire delivered a final message directly to her friend.
“I love you, Dolly. So much.”
“There Will Never Be Another Dolly Parton”
McEntire’s tribute came only weeks after she had publicly mourned Parton’s death.
In her original message, she thanked Parton for her love, music and generosity, and reflected on the memories they had made together.
“There will never ever be another you,” McEntire wrote. “We will remember and cherish every memory and every note you ever played and sang.”
The 2026 Emmy tribute gave McEntire another chance to say goodbye, this time through one of Parton’s own songs.
For McEntire, though, one small unanswered question remains. She knows Dolly called her near the end of July. She knows she missed the call because she was in a meeting. She knows she tried to call back and could never reach her.
She still does not know what Parton wanted to say.
“I’ll find out one day,” McEntire said.
And for now, that is where the story of that final missed call ends.
“Appalachian Memories”