Ricky Morton Pays Tribute To Dolly Parton: ‘We Lost a Queen Today’

Ricky Morton grew up not far away from Dolly Parton, and he posted to social media to pay tribute to the legend after her passing. As reported earlier, Parton passed away at the age of 80. The country music superstar left an unmistakable impact on pop culture far and wide, and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express member posted to Facebook to share his memories of Parton.

Morton wrote:

“Growing up in a small house in Antioch, Tennessee with my mom, my dad and my four brothers, we did not have much, but we had each other. And just down the street from us lived a woman who would go on to become one of the most beloved people in the world.

Dolly Parton.

I remember seeing Dolly riding her bicycle to and from the store. To the world, she would become a superstar, an icon and a legend. But to us kids in Antioch, she was just Dolly from down the street.

She was always so kind to little ole Ricky and my brothers. She never made us feel like we were bothering her. She always had a smile and a kind word. Those are the memories that stay with you.

As I got older, I watched her become everything the world knows her for. Her music, her generosity, her heart and the way she treated people. But when I think of Dolly, I do not think first about the fame. I think about that little girl from Tennessee who grew up to touch so many lives, including ours.

It is funny how life works. Sometimes the people who become legends are the same people you remember simply as the kind person from your neighborhood.

Today, Tennessee lost a piece of its heart. The world lost an incredible woman. And I lost someone I will always be grateful to have known, even if those memories go all the way back to when I was just a little boy.

Thank you for being kind to little ole’ Ricky and my brothers.

We truly lost a queen today.”