Sunday, September 27, 2026 270 stories · 3081 outlet reports compared

Reba McEntire says she missed a final call from Dolly Parton before her death

Reba McEntire revealed she missed a phone call from longtime friend Dolly Parton shortly before Parton died on Aug. 25, and was unable to reconnect with her.

By The Lumen desk · Sept 27, 2026 · 1 min read
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What we know
1 Reba McEntire said she missed a phone call from Dolly Parton shortly before Parton's death.
2 McEntire said she was unable to get back in touch with Parton afterward.
3 Dolly Parton died Aug. 25 after a brief battle with cancer, according to Variety and the New York Post.
4 The New York Post reported Parton was 80 years old.
5 McEntire made the comments to Entertainment Tonight.

Reba McEntire has revealed that she missed a phone call from Dolly Parton before Parton's death, and was never able to reach her again. "I tried to get back in touch with her and I couldn't," McEntire said, according to Entertainment Tonight as reported by multiple outlets.

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McEntire said she will never know why Parton called, telling Entertainment Tonight, "I'll never know why she called me."

Dolly Parton died Aug. 25 following what outlets described as a brief battle with cancer. The New York Post reported she was 80 years old at the time of her death.

McEntire and Parton were described by Variety as longtime friends.

How each side covered it

Left

4 outlets
  • USA Today and others reported McEntire missed a call from Parton before her death.
  • The Hollywood Reporter and Variety quoted McEntire saying, "I'll never know why she called."
  • Variety noted McEntire and Parton were longtime friends.
  • Outlets cited McEntire's interview with Entertainment Tonight as the source of her comments.

“Reba McEntire Reveals She Missed a Call From Dolly Parton Before Her Death: “I’ll Never Know Why She Called”” — The Hollywood Reporter

Right

1 outlet
  • The New York Post reported McEntire was "haunted" by the missed call a month before Parton's death.
  • The outlet reported Parton died Aug. 25 at age 80 following a brief battle with cancer.
  • The Post described Parton's death as sending "shockwaves" through the music world.

“Reba McEntire haunted by missed call from Dolly Parton a month before her death: ‘I’ll never know why’” — New York Post

Questions readers ask

What did Reba McEntire say about Dolly Parton before her death?

Reba McEntire said she missed a phone call from Dolly Parton shortly before Parton died and was never able to reconnect with her, telling Entertainment Tonight, "I'll never know why she called me."

When did Dolly Parton die?

Dolly Parton died on Aug. 25 following a brief battle with cancer, according to Variety and the New York Post.

How old was Dolly Parton when she died?

The New York Post reported that Dolly Parton was 80 years old at the time of her death.

What was the relationship between Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton?

Variety described Reba McEntire as a longtime friend of Dolly Parton.

Sources · 5 outlet reports

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