MBABANE – Country music fans around the world are mourning the death of Dolly Parton, who died at the age of 80 in Nashville, Tennessee.
The loss is also felt deeply in Eswatini, where local Country music stars, Dusty and Stones, expressed great sadness over the death of the ‘Queen of Country.’
For Dusty and Stones, Parton was more than just a famous American singer; she was a major inspiration. “We are devastated. Dolly’s music told stories we easily related to. She carried our lives through sad and happy moments which she sang about. She sang about her own experiences in the US, but to us, it was like she was telling a story that happened in Mooihoek. We even mentioned this in our documentary which most people who watched the film found incredible. So, it’s painful that she’s gone, but she’ll forever live through her music. Mind you, we’ve been listening to her for a lifetime now it seems. We’re thankful for the inspiration we got in her music. She grew up in an underprivileged background, but managed to stand tall and conquer the world with a guitar and a pen. Nothing beats that level of inspiration. We’ll forever love her, as her hit song ‘I will always love you’ says,” they shared.
Famous songs like ‘Coat of Many Colours’ and ‘Jolene’ showed how her honest personal stories reached people everywhere. Her charity work, including reading programmes and major donations, showed her kindness alongside her musical talent.
As world leaders and music legends share tributes, the sadness felt by Eswatini’s top Country artists shows how far her influence reached. Her music reached across continents, inspiring two musicians from a small African country to play guitars, wear cowboy hats and share their own stories with the world.
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