‘A force of nature’: Jake and Spike pay tribute to Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton, the singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman, and philanthropist who became one of the most beloved figures in American entertainment, died Tuesday at age 80 after a brief battle with cancer, according to Variety. She was surrounded by loved ones at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville.

Her nephew Bryan Seaver announced the death on Instagram, saying she died “peacefully.” Parton had been open about health issues in recent years, particularly after the death of her husband, Carl Dean, in March 2025.

Jake Skorheim and Spike O’Neill, co-hosts of “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio, devoted the opening of their show to remembering what made Parton a legend, not just as a performer, but as a person.

Spike says Parton was a groundbreaking force who called her own shots

Spike, who grew up in a music-loving household, said Parton’s impact went far beyond country music and that her legacy spanned every medium she touched.

“Dolly Parton was a force of nature,” Spike said. “She was the first woman to achieve the kind of notoriety and fandom that allowed her to call her own shots in her career. She was unabashedly confident and proud and eminently talented.”

He pointed to her early career with Porter Wagoner as her launchpad, stating she shattered barriers at a time when the entertainment industry wasn’t built for women to lead.

“She literally was breaking the glass ceiling with her hair,” Spike said. “Everybody who benefits from the respect of your peers and the opportunity of your abilities, I think owes in some part to Dolly Parton, man.”

Spike also recalled the story of Elvis wanting to record “I Will Always Love You” in 1974, only for Parton to turn him down when Colonel Parker demanded half the publishing rights.

“Elvis in 74, there’s nothing on the planet bigger,” Spike said. “But Colonel Parker wanted like half the publishing rights for Elvis’s version. She said no. She said, ‘No, thanks, Elvis.’ From a woman in a man’s industry in 74, it wasn’t what it is today.”

Jake says Parton’s legacy is in how people talk about her after she’s gone

Jake explained what stood out to him was how Parton stayed grounded despite being one of the most famous people on Earth, keeping family, kindness, and generosity at the center of everything.

“When you think about what life is going to be for the people that are in your life after you’re gone, I mean, it’s a sign of a life well lived that everybody in your sphere, they’re doing great, you’ve shepherded them along the path that they know,” Jake said.

He marveled at her origins, noting her father could not read or write, and the family grew up with almost nothing in the lower Appalachians of Tennessee.

“If you were to look at her life statistically, where she grew up, she should not have become one of the biggest, well-known stars in the world,” Jake said.

Jake also shared the backstory behind “Jolene,” explaining that the entire song was inspired by a bank teller who was flirty with Parton’s husband, a tiny moment she turned into one of the most iconic songs ever written.

“It’s not like she sat there and watched her husband admit to her that he was having an affair with this person,” Jake said. “It was just like some little interaction that she maybe witnessed and said, ‘Oh, that’s a good seed of something,’ and then she turned it into this song, which is just brilliant.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3