Thursday, October 1, 2026
Commuters on Long Island and in other parts of New York may have noticed several unique tributes last week as they passed select signage and landmarks in various places. The tributes were inspired by the recent death of country music star and philanthropist Dolly Parton, who died on Tuesday, Aug. 25, at the age of 80, after succumbing to cancer.
Despite being a Tennessee native, Parton owned a penthouse in New York City during the 1980s while continuing a career that would reach many across the nation to even those outside of the country music world.
In honor of Parton’s life and legacy, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that 17 landmarks across the state would be illuminated pink on the evening of Aug. 27, two days after the musician’s death.
The landmarks were the One World Trade Center, the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, Kosciusko Bridge, the H. Carl McCall SUNY Building, State Education Building, Alfred E. Smith State Office Building, Empire State Plaza, State Fairgrounds, Niagara Falls, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Mid-Hudson Bridge, Grand Central Terminal, Albany International Airport Gateway, Lake Placid Olympic Center, the Long Island Rail Road gateway at Penn Station, Fairport Lift Bridge, Moynihan Train Hall and the Roosevelt Island Lighthouse.
Additionally, New York State Department of Transportation signs along state highways, including the local Meadowbrook Parkway, displayed messages that were direct references to Parton songs “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You.”
The messages were “JOLENE, JOLENE, JOLENE DON’T SPEED,” and “I WILL ALWAYS LOVE SAFE DRIVING.”
“New York is honored to return the love Dolly Parton has always shown us,” Hochul said. “A voice that warmed the soul and a beacon of hope to millions across the globe, Dolly will forever be remembered for her extreme generosity and humanitarianism. She spent a lifetime giving back to communities in need and her legendary career made the world a more hopeful place.”
Along with accomplishing renowned success for decades as a musician, Parton supported children and communities through various philanthropic endeavors. Those efforts include donating to healthcare research, providing disaster relief around the U.S. and gifting over 330 million books for free to her Imagination Library, a global book-gifting program that provides children with free literary resources.
Parton is mourned by six living siblings and their families. Parton, who was married to businessman Carl Dean for about 59 years before his death in March 2025, had no biological children.
