// BBC ENTERTAINMENT & ARTS — MODA & SOCIETÀ
Elton John, Oprah Winfrey and Paul McCartney join tributes to Dolly Parton
Sir Paul McCartney, Oprah Winfrey, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Sir Elton John have led a wave of tributes to music icon Dolly Parton, honouring her impact across the globe.
The Beatles legend called Parton a "magnificent star", Oprah said she "brought the light" and the Rocket Man singer dubbed her a "giant of an artist" who was "irreplaceable".
Parton died on Tuesday at the age of 80, after "a brief battle with cancer", her team said in a statement to CBS, the BBC's US partner.
Tributes have poured in from US presidents across the political spectrum and musicians across all genres, remembering her not just for her award-winning career, but her philanthropy and humble nature that transcended country music.
Sir Elton John and Parton preformed together in 2005 at the annual Country Music Association Awards
McCartney reflected on his history with Parton, which began when he met her in Nashville at the Grande Ole Opry right before starting her solo musical career.
"She was so bubbly and full of life, it is difficult to take in the news that she has passed," he said. "Her songwriting, her singing and her philanthropy were unrivaled in the world of country music and it is hard to imagine living in a world without Dolly."
John said he was "shocked and devastated" over the news. "A giant of an artist - unique and irreplaceable, with the kindest heart".
Swift, who began her professional career in country music as a teen after moving to Nashville, has paid tribute to Parton's "true grace and true grit, all in one dazzling person".
"A world without Dolly doesn't feel possible, real, or right," the singer said in a statement shared with the BBC. "But because of the eternally generous way she spent her time on this earth and the countless lives she changed for the better, her legacy will be an everlasting one."