A lot of people are asking Cameron Parker if he painted the mural of Dolly Parton in early August on a premonition.<\/p>\n
“I wanted to give her her flowers while she was here to see them and smell them,” said Parker. <\/p>\n
But he couldn’t have known that, two weeks after he finished the piece, the country icon would pass away at 80 years old after a brief battle with cancer<\/a>. <\/p>\n ALSO READ: Dolly Parton remembered as the undisputed queen of country music worldwide<\/a><\/p>\n Parker, also known as Painkiller Cam, has painted tributes to various female icons on buildings across Tampa. <\/p>\n There’s his mural of Beyonce<\/a> on Tampa Avenue, and a portrait of Lady Gaga on North Franklin Street, which is now covered by Parton sitting on a big yellow star. <\/p>\n She’s surrounded by purple nebulae and, next to her, are the words, “Dolly’s Outta This World.”<\/p>\n “It’s almost kind of like a memorial landmark now,” said Parker, “When making it, I had no intention for it to be what it has become.”<\/p>\n Since Parton’s passing on Tuesday, fans have paid brief visits to the spot, taking pictures and leaving flower bouquets and cards at the feet of the painted superstar.<\/p>\n On a hot Wednesday afternoon, Meghan Gillespie pulled up in a pink, iridescent convertible, which she says is inspired by Parton’s glamour.<\/p>\n ALSO READ: Why many Black Americans feel a special kinship with Dolly Parton<\/a><\/p>\n “Yesterday, I actually rode with my top down and blared her music through traffic,” said Gillespie.<\/p>\n The Tampa local said she originally hails from South Carolina, where generations of her family listened to Parton’s music. <\/p>\n “She represents to me the embodiment of a strong, powerful woman who’s independent, who embraces her beauty and her brains, and kind of doesn’t need a man,” said Gillespie. <\/p>\n Gillespie’s favorite song? 9 to 5.<\/p>\n Ann Danner, another lifelong Dolly fan, described her love for the singer.<\/p>\n “How could you not love Dolly?” Danner said, “she is completely pure, genuine, authentic, benevolent …”<\/p>\n Parton’s legacy extends beyond her music. Her numerous philanthropic contributions include the Imagination Library<\/a>, a program aimed to fight illiteracy by giving children free books. <\/p>\n The program is currently available for families in Polk, Hardee and Highlands counties, and is accepting donations<\/a>. <\/p>\n