Eminem never got the chance to meet Dolly Parton.
However, after her death, the rapper revealed that the country music icon had quietly left a lasting impression on him with a letter she sent after his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction.
Dolly wrote to Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, after he joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November 2022.
In the letter, she congratulated him on his induction and praised his performance. Then, despite admitting that she did not know much about rap music, Dolly made it clear that she knew exactly how highly people regarded him.
Even though I don’t know a lot about rap music, I’ve come to know that you are the very best at it.
But the letter became even more personal.
Dolly told Eminem that she had always felt an unexplained connection to him and hoped they would eventually meet.
I have always felt some unexplained connection to you like I know you somehow.
She also told him to keep doing what he was doing and reminded him that his work touched people in ways he might not even realise.
Unfortunately, that meeting never happened.
Following Dolly’s death, Eminem shared her letter and admitted that her words had stayed with him.
I’m sorry we never got a chance to meet, but getting this note from Dolly really had an impact on me.
He added that she did not have to take the time to write to him, making the gesture mean even more.
Even for a kid who mostly listened to rap music, she was an icon. A superstar in every sense.
Eminem ended his tribute with a final message for the woman whose songs belonged to a completely different world from his own, yet who still found a way to reach him.
Rest easy Dolly. And thank you for the kind words.
It was a letter Dolly Parton wrote to congratulate Eminem on one of the biggest moments of his career.
Years later, after her death, it became a reminder of the meeting they never got to have.
