Fans, friends remember Dolly Parton in Bloomington

WFIU | By George Hale

Published August 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM EDT

Dolly Parton fan with candle at vigil at IU — Fans of the iconic musician gathered Saturday at IU's Sample Gates.

Fans and at least one friend of Dolly Parton turned out Saturday night at IU's Sample Gates to celebrate the iconic musician's life and career.

Bloomington resident Randy Cowden, who worked with Parton and her husband Carl Dean, said she was as genuine in private as she appeared in public.

"She always treated a stranger just as well as she did the person that she knew," Cowden said. "It's heartbreaking to see them go."

Cowden said he met Dean doing construction work with the Gaylord Entertainment in Nashville and ended up becoming friends with the couple.

Parton died Tuesday after a short battle with cancer, her family said.

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George Hale

George Hale is a Multi-Media Journalist at Indiana Public Media. He previously worked as an Investigative Reporter for NPR’s northeast Texas member station KETR. Hale has reported from the West Bank and Gaza, Israel, Jordan and Egypt.

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