LOS ANGELES, United States — Americans of all stripes united in grief Tuesday over the death of country music legend Dolly Parton, offering a rare moment of agreement as presidents past and present joined giants of entertainment in paying tribute to the beloved star.

The singer, who was 80, was long heralded as one of the few celebrities that everybody loved.

“Instant sainthood,” rocker Jack White, who covered one of Parton’s most famous hits Jolene, said on Instagram.

Fellow country star Reba McEntire hailed Parton for “all the wonderful things you did for us here on Earth. Your love, your music and you gave so much with your huge huge heart. There will never ever be another you”.

Country star Kacey Musgraves took to X to mourn the passing of a legend of the genre.

“This really really hurts,” she wrote. “The world feels a lot less sparkly all of a sudden.”

US President Donald Trump announced the lowering of flags across the United States for a week, calling Parton’s death a “true loss for millions of people”.

“Very sad to report that Dolly Parton, one of the greatest country singers, and far beyond, ever, has just passed away,” Trump posted on his Truth Social network. “There has never been anyone like her, and never will.”

His Republican predecessor, George W Bush, said Americans would mourn her loss.

“We loved her music and her style. She was a great entertainer and even greater person. We respected her work to promote literacy, advance health, and strengthen communities. Dolly was a talented and hard-working American who will be missed,” he wrote.

Democratic former President Bill Clinton praised her as “one of a kind”.

“A great songwriter and performer who told the stories of everyday Americans with honesty, humility, and heart,” he wrote.

New York’s mayor, firebrand socialist Zohran Mamdani, said Parton’s passing was “truly heartbreaking”: “Dolly Parton was an extraordinary person and an irreplaceable champion of the working class. We are a better country because of her.”

Across the world of entertainment there was a palpable sense of loss, but also one of gratefulness for a person whose life was filled with joy and compassion.

Parton’s Steel Magnolias co-star Julia Roberts said: “Dolly was a magical and joyous human. I hold knowing her as a treasure in my life. The sun has dimmed today.”

Actress Jane Fonda, who performed opposite Parton in 9 to 5, said she was “devastated” by the loss.

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis said the singer was the exception to an oft-quoted rule.

“They say don’t meet your heroes,” she wrote on Instagram, alongside a picture of the two of them together. “They were wrong about her.”

Actor, singer, and Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane echoed that sentiment, saying of Parton, whom he worked with on The Orville: “It was a joy to discover that she really was exactly the person we all hoped she was… Her kindness, generosity, and authenticity were evident…”

Kelly Clarkson said: She “had a way of making everyone feel special, and seen, and welcomed, and as if you were old friends”.

Opera star Renee Fleming, who recorded a duet with Parton, told AFP the star was “irreplaceable”.

“Dolly Parton’s goodness shone in whatever she did, from her beautiful, unmistakable voice to her inspiring philanthropy,” Fleming said.