Ирма Томас вспомнила незабываемую встречу с Долли Партон и её помощь Новому Орлеану

Irma Thomas remembers meeting Dolly Parton as an unforgettable moment New Orleans singer says Parton had a big heart and helped the city after storms NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - New Orleans singer Irma Thomas only met Dolly Parton once but said the encounter was one she’ll never forget. “I didn’t realize how short she was... little bitty, but big, big heart,” Thomas said. Parton brought “The Dolly Show” to New Orleans to serve as grand marshal of the Krewe of Endymion parade in 1988 and later filmed the show at the Audubon Zoo. Thomas and Parton sang together as part of that programming. “I felt like I was with my neighbor,” Thomas said. “She didn’t present herself as having to be catered to.” Thomas said she was shocked to learn Parton died at 80 years-old Tuesday but said no matter what, the world wouldn’t have been ready. “We’re never ready to lose people who we know are very kind-hearted,” Thomas said. Thomas added Parton didn’t need to be in the public eye to do good. “That’s what I liked about her,” Thomas said. “When we are gifted with the talent to be able to bring joy to people, it’s not meant to every time we do something for somebody for it to get advertised.” Thomas also pointed to times she says Parton helped New Orleans recover. “With all the storms and tornadoes and hurricanes we’ve had over the years, she’s spent quite a bit of time helping people without even having a camera around,” Thomas said. Thomas remembered singing Parton’s music in her own sets. She said her favorite Dolly Parton song is “I Will Always Love You.” “I admired her from a distance, just like any other fan, but she never gave me a reason not to want to admire her,” Thomas said. “She had such a great writing spirit. A lot of her songs, I could tell, (were) written from the heart, and that’s the kind of songs I like to sing.” See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline. Subscribe to the Fox 8 YouTube channel. Copyright 2026 WVUE. All rights reserved.