Allie Colleen’s Dolly Parton Tribute Sparks Mixed Reactions

Allie Colleen, the daughter of country star Garth Brooks, paid tribute to Dolly Parton after the singer’s death on Aug. 25, while also reflecting on her own fears about losing her father.

In an Instagram post, Colleen said her “greatest fear” is the day Brooks dies and she has to watch the world mourn someone they did not know as she did. She offered condolences to Parton’s family and close friends and thanked them for sharing Parton with the world.

The post drew mixed reactions. Some fans praised Colleen for expressing the personal side of grief, while others questioned why she connected Parton’s death to her own family. Colleen defended the post, saying she was not telling anyone how to grieve but was acknowledging Parton’s family and friends.

Brooks and his wife, Trisha Yearwood, also honored Parton. Their Nashville bar, Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk, will hold a “Dolly Day” on Sept. 25, with profits going toward children’s literacy. The event will support Parton’s Imagination Library, which has provided more than 300 million free books to young children since its founding in 1995.

Parton died at 80 after a brief battle with cancer, according to her representative. Shortly before her death, she told fans she was dealing with health problems that she had previously neglected while caring for her husband, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025. Despite her health struggles, Parton said she intended to keep working on the projects she still hoped to complete.