As the world continues to pay tribute to the late, great Dolly Parton in the wake of her death at 80 years old on August 25, this story about how she once surprised Queen Latifah with a thoughtful act of kindness highlights just how much she will be missed.
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During an October 2022 visit to The Drew Barrymore Show, The Voice Season 30 Coach couldn’t stop raving about Parton, sharing how the “9 to 5” singer cooked a cozy meal for her after a long day on set many years ago.
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Dolly Parton sweetly cooked chicken and dumplings for Queen Latifah: “She’s just the salt of the Earth”
After giddily admitting she would regularly receive letters from Parton — pink-colored letters, of course — Queen Latifah revealed the lengths Parton would go for her while they were filming their 2012 movie Joyful Noise together, which also featured The Voice Season 31 host Keke Palmer in a starring role.
“She’s just the salt of the Earth. I mean, we did a movie called Joyful Noise together, and we had so much fun,” Queen Latifah explained. “She wrote all these songs, and she made me chicken and dumplings.”
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“Oh my God,” Drew Barrymore said, adorably burying her head in her hands.
“After a day at work, who the heck has time to make chicken and dumplings for me? Dolly,” Queen Latifah stated.
It’s just another example of the impact Parton made on everyone she crossed paths with through the years.
“There’s nothing she can’t do,” Barrymore added.
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Queen Latifah says Dolly Parton could “spit the rhymes”
But that’s not all. Queen Latifah, who will also compete as a Coach on The Voice: Celebrity alongside Riley Green and Joe Jonas in 2027, revealed that Parton could’ve had a career in the rap game if she so chose!
“And she can rhyme the whole ‘U-N-I-T-Y’ — she spits my rhymes,” Queen Latifah told Barrymore, referring to her own 1993 hip-hop classic. “She spits the rhymes. You know, she got it, so she’s bringing the attitude.”
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The conversation ended with Queen Latifah addressing Parton directly: “Thank you, Dolly, again, for all your support.”