Reaction is pouring in around the world after singer Dolly Parton died at 80 following a brief battle with cancer, her publicist said.
In a statement, Parton’s publicist said she was surrounded by loved ones when she died.
Parton rose from humble beginnings as one of 12 children raised in a log cabin in Tennessee. She began singing in church and later earned the unofficial title of queen of country music.
Over a career that spanned more than half a century, Parton wrote more than 3,000 songs. She won 11 Grammys and was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Spectrum News’ Tammie Fields spoke with Leandra Preston, a lecturer in UCF’s Women’s and Gender Studies Program, who said Parton broke gender barriers and became a female icon in a male-dominated industry.
“She stood up for what she believed in and she believed in equality and equity and she supported people of all races and classes even if she was coming from a culture that may have not as always been as open to embrace everyone as she did,” Preston said.
To watch the full interview use the player above.