Reba McEntire Missed Dolly Parton's Final Call, 'Tried To Get Back In Touch With Her And I Couldn't'

Reba McEntire revealed she missed the final call she received from her longtime friend and fellow country legend Dolly Parton.

McEntire, 71, recently caught up with Entertainment Tonight 's Cassie DiLaura, who offered her condolences after Parton's passing on August 25. She was 80. DiLaura noted that after losing Parton, McEntire posted in a tribute that she would always remember the first time she and Parton met, and the final conversation they had. DiLaura asked, "what was it about that final conversation with Dolly that will stay on your heart forever?"

"Well, it took us a long time to connect because of our schedules and things. And it was really special when we finally did connect and get to talk," McEntire replied. "And I didn't want to keep her. I knew she was busy because she always is. But I didn't want to let her go.

"And then she did call me the last of July, and I was in a meeting and I missed her call," McEntire shared. "And I tried to get back in touch with her and I couldn't. Never made connection. And then when Lisa Davis, my buddy, called me the morning of the 25th [of August] and she said 'Dolly's gone.' I'll never know why she called me. So that - I'll find out one day."

McEntire said of Parton, "what a blessing she was for all of us."

Parton "died peacefully" in Nashville, Tennessee, her team confirmed in an official announcement on August 25. Representatives for the "I Will Always Love You" icon said in a statement to PEOPLE hours later, "after bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones." Many have since honored Parton with emotional tributes, including McEntire, who delivered a stunning rendition of Parton's "Appalachian Memories" at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards earlier this month (she even wore some of Parton's jewelry during the performance). Parton was laid to rest in a private service beside her husband of nearly six decades, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025. He was 82.