{"id":416920,"date":"2026-08-26T05:08:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T05:08:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/416920\/"},"modified":"2026-08-26T05:08:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T05:08:10","slug":"san-antonio-fans-remember-dolly-parton-as-country-music-icon-dies-at-80","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/416920\/","title":{"rendered":"San Antonio fans remember Dolly Parton as country music icon dies at 80"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN ANTONIO \u2013 Dolly Parton\u2019s unmistakable voice, larger-than-life personality and generosity made her one of the most beloved entertainers in the world.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, the country music legend died at 80, ending a career that spanned more than six decades. Parton extended well beyond music into film, business and philanthropy. Her publicist said Parton died at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville after a brief battle with cancer, according to ABC News<\/a>. <\/p>\n

But in San Antonio, fans are remembering Parton not only for the songs she made famous, but for the inspiration they say she provided. One of those fans is Melissa Turner, owner of Hello Darling Blow Dry Bar<\/a> on Bandera Road.<\/p>\n

Turner said her love for Parton began when she was a child. Growing up, her family listened to a variety of music, including rancheras and country music.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe grew up listening to different genres. One day we were rancheras, the other day, we were listening to Dolly,\u201d Turner told KSAT.<\/p>\n

Melissa Turner and family at Dollywood in Tennessee. (-)<\/p>\n

Years later, that childhood admiration became part of Turner\u2019s business. Hello Darling is filled with pink, glitz and Dolly-inspired decor, creating an atmosphere that Turner says reflects the confidence, generosity and entrepreneurial spirit she admired in Parton.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, she inspires us. She inspires many women,\u201d Turner said emotionally. <\/p>\n

The salon also has a dedicated ofrenda honoring Parton with candles, disco balls, a guitar and books inspired by the country music star. For Turner, the tribute is about more than recreating Parton\u2019s signature look.<\/p>\n

Hello Darling Blow Dry Bar in San Antonio, TX (-)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are lucky that we get to see her every day and to celebrate and just give that passion back to serving other women,\u201d Turner added.<\/p>\n

Turner is not the only San Antonio woman finding a way to honor Parton. Erica Gamboa, owner of Wild Encanto Clay Studio, grew up listening to Parton with her family. She recently launched a Dolly-inspired jewelry collection at Hello Darling, adding another local tribute to the singer\u2019s legacy.<\/p>\n

Gamboa told KSAT that Parton\u2019s ability to overcome barriers as a woman in the entertainment industry continues to inspire her.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust to see everything that she\u2019s gone through and how she\u2019s built herself up, all the things that she\u2019s had to break through being a woman in the industry that she was in and just trying to come up and make her way \u2014 that\u2019s just so inspiring,\u201d Gamboa said.<\/p>\n

Parton\u2019s connection to San Antonio goes back more than five decades. The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo<\/a> shared photos with KSAT showing Parton\u2019s 1970 visit to the event, when she performed alongside Porter Wagoner as a rising country star.<\/p>\n

Dolly Parton at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo in 1970 (-)<\/p>\n

The organization sent the following statement to KSAT: <\/p>\n

\u201cWe are deeply saddened by the passing of Dolly Parton, whose talent, generosity, and spirit left an extraordinary mark on country music and generations of fans. We were honored to welcome Dolly to the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo in 1970 and are proud to have a small place in her remarkable legacy. We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and the countless fans whose lives she touched.\u201d<\/p>\n

San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo<\/p>\n

Parton\u2019s publicist shared there will be a private funeral service held for family and the music star will be laid to rest in Nashville beside her late husband, Carl Dean. <\/p>\n

There are no details yet about a public memorial. For Turner and Gamboa, however, saying goodbye does not require a formal ceremony. Their tributes are already on display \u2014 in a salon, in a jewelry collection and in the stories they hope to continue telling about the woman who inspired them.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was definitely a trailblazer,\u201d Turner said. \u201cA lot of women will remember her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read also:<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 by KSAT – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SAN ANTONIO \u2013 Dolly Parton\u2019s unmistakable voice, larger-than-life personality and generosity made her one of the most beloved…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":416921,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[8846,278,82,84,83],"class_list":["post-416920","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-antonio","tag-dolly-parton","tag-music","tag-san-antonio","tag-san-antonio-headlines","tag-san-antonio-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416920","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=416920"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416920\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/416921"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=416920"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=416920"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=416920"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}