They had never met in person.
In 2022, Dolly Parton and Eminem were inducted together into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Nashville, and although the paths of a country legend and a Detroit rapper seemed to have nothing in common, she decided to write him a handwritten note. She confessed that she didn’t know much about rap, but that she considered him the best. She also told him something that one rarely reads from a 76-year-old star addressing another who is 53: that she felt an inexplicable connection with him, as if she already knew him.
Eminem kept those words for four years. Following Parton’s death on August 25, at the age of 80, after a brief battle with cancer at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, the rapper decided to share the complete letter on Instagram. “Receiving this note from Dolly really moved me”, he wrote. And he concluded his tribute with a simple phrase: “Rest in peace, Dolly. And thank you for your kind words”.
This is what the letter said:
“Marshall (Eminem):
Congratulations on your induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Your performance was incredible, and everyone said so. Although I don’t know much about rap music, I’ve come to know that you’re the best at what you do.
Also, I hope what I’m about to tell you doesn’t seem weird or strange, but I’ve always felt an inexplicable connection with you, as if somehow I knew you. I was hoping to meet you at the show, but you know how chaotic those things are; personally, I hate them and I missed my chance. But perhaps someday we’ll meet.
In the meantime, keep doing what you do, because you do it very well. And no matter how complicated your life may be, just remember that you’re a very special person and that you reach people in ways you can’t even imagine.
With love and respect,
Dolly Parton”