Lainey Wilson Shares The Advice Dolly Parton Gave Her About Husband 'Duck'

Lainey Wilson reflected on advice she received from Dolly Parton as she paid tribute to the beloved country legend on Thursday (August 27).

Parton “died peacefully today in Nashville, Tennessee. She was 80 years old,” stated to an official announcement on Tuesday (August 25). Representatives confirmed to PEOPLE hours later that Parton died “after bravely facing a brief battle with cancer.” Wilson joined many others in the country music community (and countless fans around the world) to honor Parton in a sweet tribute.

In her post on Instagram, the Whirlwind artist honored the friendship she shared with the late legend. Wilson said the pair got to catch up in the weeks before Parton’s death. They spoke about music, Parton’s late husband (Carl Dean, who died in March 2025 at age 82), Parton’s advice to Wilson after her wedding to Devlin “Duck” Hodges earlier this year, their faith, and more. Wilson wrote:

“My Dolly. 💛 I felt like you were my friend before we even met.. you made everybody feel that way. But once we became friends, boy did we have a lot to talk about… I sure am glad you called a couple of weeks ago. We got to talk about the business, the sacrifice, how special Carl Dean was to you and how important Duck is to me.. you told me that ‘it’s all great and stuff that Duck lets you be you, but you better make sure you let Duck be himself too.’ You also told me to take my time reading the book of Revelation and that I might need to go on back to Psalms for a minute to catch my breath. We talked about how we both feel like we were called into this business and you told me you felt like you weren’t finished. Well my friend, you are not. The kind of love and light you shined in your lifetime is the kind that never goes away. I am thankful the Lord gave you a gift, you decided to share it, and the Lord decided to share you with us. I can’t wait to see you again and I know when I hug your neck in heaven someday you are still gonna be saying, ‘don’t mess up hair, Lainey girl.’ I will always love you, my friend. 💛🦋”

Wilson has previously shared a glimpse into her friendship with Parton. She said in November 2023, when she won the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year honor, “any time I get to spend with her, it’s incredible. You know how everybody says, ‘don’t meet your heroes?’ Well, I’ll tell you what, that’s not Dolly Parton. She’s everything that I could’ve imagined, and everything that I think everybody needs to strive to be.”

Earlier this year, Wilson spoke at a press event about Parton and “the banter that me and her have. …I feel like I’ve known her in another lifetime.” Wilson nodded to about Parton’s sense of humor, including the rumor that Parton jokingly said she’d start about Wilson and Snoop Dogg.

Around the time of that press event, Wilson had just joined Parton — and Miley Cyrus, Queen Latifah and Reba McEntire, plus David Foster on piano and The Christ Church Choir on background vocals — on a new version of Parton’s ‘70s classic, “Light of a Clear Blue Morning.” Parton released the new version to celebrate its 50th anniversary. It also arrived in time for her 80th birthday. Proceeds supported pediatric cancer research at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee. Wilson said earlier this year, “it’s huge for her to tip her hat to me like that, by allowing me to be on this incredible song that has stood the test of time. That does mean so much.”

“I wrote ‘Light of a Clear Blue Morning’ during a season when I was searching for hope, and fifty years later that message still feels just as true,” Parton said in a statement when the new version made its debut in January. “As I celebrate my 80th birthday, this new version is my way of using what I’ve been blessed with to shine a little light forward, especially by sharing it with some truly incredible women.”

The official announcement on Tuesday stated that “Dolly is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 59 years Carl Thomas Dean (1942 – 2025), her mother Avie Lee Caroline Owens (1923 – 2003), and father, Robert Lee Parton, Sr. (1921 – 2000). …At Dolly’s request, a small, private service will be held for immediate family. Dolly’s fans and friends from around the world are encouraged to pay tribute to Dolly on social media by tagging @DollyParton or by leaving a message at www.dollyparton.com. In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.”

Wilson is part of the star-studded, genre-spanning lineup of the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival presented by Capital One, along with BTS, Benson Boone, Cardi B, Goo Goo Dolls, Kenny Chesney, Major Lazer, Muse, Snoop Dogg, Weezer and Zara Larsson, with more to be announced. Ryan Seacrest will host the two-night event when it returns on September 18 and September 19 to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fans can tune in live on iHeartRadio stations nationwide or stream every performance on Disney+ and Hulu, giving subscribers front-row access from the comfort of their homes. Tickets are available on AXS.com. For more details about the iHeartRadio Music Festival visit iHeartRadio.com/Festival.