SALT LAKE CITY — As fans throughout Utah mourn the death of country legend Dolly Parton, a Salt Lake City record store has set up a memorial to bring everyone together.
Randy's Record Shop is a legend in its own right as a haven for music and vinyl lovers along 900 South. After Parton's death was announced, the shrine mysteriously appeared in front of the store, with no one knowing who had placed it there.
The memorial features flowers and a place for fans to leave messages for the icon.
Those visiting the shrine share memories of Parton and what she meant to their own lives, including Emerald Jade, who honored Dolly with a bouffant hairstyle.
"As a Southerner from Arkansas, having Miss Dolly pass away, it's tragic," said Emerald Jade. "I mean, it's everyone in my family; she was an icon for us. Between the big hair, the bedazzling... it's sad. The fact that she helped a lot of children down south as well with their literacy rates and just all the things she's done for the queer community, it's heartbreaking.
"I mean, we shed tears yesterday for sure."
Orem family remembers Dolly Parton’s lasting gift to dying fan:
Parton was able to touch so many lives because she was known as so many things to so many people, including a singer, actress, and philanthropist.
"She just meant so much to everyone. Like, I struggle to find a person that didn't like her, and that is just so amazing," said Randy's employee Summer Buckshaw.
"She loved everyone no matter who they were," added Jade. "I mean, it didn't matter if they were a very hardcore alternative person, a very hyper conservative person, or just the most free-loving hippie out there.
"She loved them all, and everybody out there loved her."
