West End star and Strictly Come Dancing finalist Amber Davies has paid tribute to Dolly Parton following the country legend's death at the age of 80, recalling the moment Parton gave her her "first yes" as she launched her theatre career after winning Love Island.
Tribute to a Country Legend
News of Parton's passing broke on Tuesday evening (August 25), with tributes flooding in from around the world. Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced the news in a video shared to Parton's Instagram page. It has since been confirmed that the singer, best known for genre-defining hits including 9 To 5, I Will Always Love You and Jolene, died after a "brief battle with cancer".
Following the news, Amber took to Instagram with photos from her time spent with Parton in 2019. The ITVBe show, Amber and Dolly: 9 to 5, followed the then-22-year-old as she prepared to appear in the West End production of 9 to 5, the theatrical adaptation of the 1980 movie inspired by the singer's music.
Memories of the Savoy Theatre
In her tribute, Amber shared two black and white images of herself with Parton, as well as a smiling selfie, as they chatted behind the scenes of the Savoy Theatre. "Dolly, you gave me my first YES," Amber shared. "One of the very first to believe in me. This will always be a highlight of my lifetime. The world will not be the same without you. From the entire world, Thank you @dollyparton."
Amber, who has since taken on roles in Back to the Future, Pretty Woman and Legally Blonde, previously shared that Parton offered her pearls of wisdom on dating during their time together.
Parton's Advice Remembered
Speaking with Ranvir Singh on ITV's Lorraine in 2022, she said: "So, 9 to 5 was her baby. She was the executive producer. She honestly cared so much about that show. When I met her, I kind of had no expectations, because it’s Dolly Parton, even just being in the same room as her was incredible. It’s not a normal thing, you don’t meet Dolly Parton every day, do you?"
"The second time I met her, she remembered all of our conversations from the first time, she knew my name, she gave me advice, and her advice was, 'You don’t need a man!' And when Dolly Parton says that, you’re like, 'You’re so right!'"
