Taylor Swift has joined the chorus of fans, friends and music stars in singing praise of late country music icon, Dolly Parton.Parton passed away at age 80, on Tuesday in Nashville, after a “brief battle with cancer,” her reps told People.Shortly after news of her demise took over social media, fellow country star, Taylor Swift, penned a heartfelt statement, honouring the legend while also reflecting on her contribution to music and her various other philanthrophic deeds.In a statemen shared with various portals, Taylor began, “A world without Dolly doesn’t feel possible, real, or right. But because of the eternally generous way she spent her time on this earth and the countless lives she changed for the better, her legacy will be an everlasting one.”Her statement on The Hollywood Reporter read, “She was truly the gift that kept on giving. Dolly gave us someone to look up to while encouraging us to be who we are as individuals. Somehow she was able to give us her lessons about the world gently and honestly, simultaneously, and oftentimes hilariously.”Swift continued. “She managed to give the world the ultimate mystery and fantasy in some corners of her life, but to give full transparency in the ways that counted. Somehow she was true grace and true grit, all in one dazzling person. She possessed the softest heart when it came to the struggles of others, and a backbone of steel to defend her own self worth as an artist.”She concluded, “Along with her other fans, I am so grateful for all of it. For the melodies and lyrics she wrote that thawed even the coldest hearts. For the millions of books she provided children all over the world so that they might fall in love with stories the way she did. For the tightropes she walked so that young girls like me could grow up dreaming of joining the circus too. Dolly, I’ll think of you each step of the way.“Swift’s equation with Parton hit headlines last month, when she made a sizeable donation to the singer’s charitable foundation ahead of her wedding to Travis Kelce. In one of her final public messages, Dolly thanked Taylor and Travis for their generous USD 2 million donation to the Imagination Library. Parton praised their commitment to giving back and joked about wanting to meet their future child.