RINGGOLD, Ga. — North Georgia joins the country in mourning the loss of country music icon Dolly Parton.
Channel 2’s Courtney Francisco was at Dollywood during WSB Tonight where a memorial of flowers and balloons started to build around the entrance sign.
Fans started building it after hearing of her death hours earlier.
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“As much as she’s a beloved entertainer and was amazingly talented, to me, the accomplishment of taking on Dollywood so that she could bring jobs to the area where she grew up poor, that kind of thing, to me, just speaks volumes about what she really was about,” said Eric Kennedy.
Earlier on Tuesday, Francisco met with Kennedy, the pastor at Ringgold First Baptist Church where Parton married Carl Dean in 1966.
“Ringgold, at that time, didn’t, it had different rules about blood tests. So, you didn’t have to wait. You could come get everything done just like same day,” he said.
He said the couple would come back to visit occasionally.
“Dolly wouldn’t wear any of her makeup and wigs and things. They would just come and be low key,” said Kennedy.
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The city honors Parton every year with a festival called Dolly Days.
The minute her death became public, fans started leaving flowers at a mural of her that’s painted on the side of a building there. Chad Eustice was one of them.
“She’s a really special person, and beautiful person, and she deserves to be remembered for the spark that she had,” said Eustice.
He and his family are traveling to Dollywood soon to honor her there.
Park staff said in a statement they will open Wednesday morning to provide a space where people can honor her memory with laughter and music.
“The greatest privilege of my life has been helping Dolly bring her dreams to life at Dollywood,” said Eugene Naughton, Dollywood Parks & Resorts President. “Dolly’s heart was as vast as the mountains she cherished, and her compassion knew no bounds. She inspired generations to dream boldly and love deeply.”
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