On one level, Wynonna Judd‘s reacted to Dolly Parton‘s death the same way a lot of fans did: She was simply in shock.
“It took me a minute. I heard it, and I went, ‘No, that’s not possible. We can’t lose her,'” Judd reflects in a new interview with Taste of Country.
“I walked around my house going, ‘But I’ve got all the Dolly shirts and stuff. I’m gonna see her at [the CMAs]. I’m gonna…'” she trailed off, and breathed a heavy sigh. “It’s awful.”
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Even now, Judd admits she’s struggling to grasp that Parton’s death actually happened. “I’m in denial still. I really am,” she continues. “She was plucked from this earth so quickly. I just can’t wrap my head around it. I’m just now starting to go, ‘She’s really not here.'”
“It’s the end of an era,” the singer adds. “I can’t imagine life without her.”
That’s a sentiment many country fans might have echoed in their own grieving processes. Dolly Parton’s music felt personal to so many: The country legend had an undeniable gift for connection, and those who loved her music are left feeling like her death is, in a very real way, a death in the family.
Wynonna Judd Remembers Her Deep Bond With Dolly Parton
But for Judd, that loss is more literal.
Parton was a close friend to her and her mother, Naomi Judd, throughout their career as The Judds. Per Rolling Stone, a then-11-year-old Wynonna and her mother practiced their now-iconic blood harmonies by listening to records — among them, Parton’s Coat of Many Colors.
She tells Taste of Country that that was among her earliest experiences of Parton. They’d later collaborate on many occasions, including a 1987 show in Chicago that also featured an appearance from Wynonna’s actor sister, Ashley Judd.
Through the years, they remained close, both professionally and personally. After Naomi Judd died, Parton teamed up with Lainey Wilson to record a version of “Mama He’s Crazy” for the star-packed album A Tribute to the Judds.
Wynonna Judd Reveals What Dolly Parton Told Her After Mom Naomi Judd Died
Parton was there for Judd after Naomi’s death: Not just in the spotlight, or an a tribute album, but in person, too.
They shared a private moment in the dressing room backstage at Naomi’s public memorial sevice, Judd recounts.
Read More: Watch Reba McEntire’s ‘Appalachian Memories’ Dolly Parton Tribute
“She came in and shut the door, and came over to me and hugged me. That kind of hug that lasts longer than the ‘pat, pat, pat.’ And she said, ‘I love you very much,” Judd says. “I said, ‘I love you too.’ She said, ‘I’m so sorry.’ And we just shared a couple things back and forth. It was a very intimate moment.”
Now, Judd says that she looks for ways to incorporate Parton’s kindness and joy into the way she lives her own life.
“I’m now saying, ‘What would Dolly do?'” she tells Taste of Country. “I love her so much.”
“She’s always on 10, light-wise. Her light is so bright. She’s just effervescent. She glides around the room, like, ‘Is this person real?!'” Judd describes. “She’s so good. Her heart, her kindness, her joy, her hope — all those words come to mind.”
See Pictures of Dolly Parton, Through the Years
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
