Fan Who Got a Viral Serenade From Dolly Parton Dead at 48

LeGrand Gold, the Dolly Parton superfan so dedicated that he placed a meeting with her on his bucket list, died on Feb. 8, People confirms.

He was 48 years old.

The Utah native battled Stage 4 cancer for a couple of years, and after a set of scans relayed bad news in late 2023, he opted to focus less on curative treatment and more on the bucket list that he described as "LeGrand's List of Living." That list included some humble goals — spending more time with his children and taking a trip to Chicago with his wife Alice, for example — as well at least one goal that seemed unattainable: Meeting Dolly Parton.

But that dream came true just a few days before Christmas last year, when Parton herself surprised him with a phone call and serenaded him with a few bars of "I Will Always Love You."

During their call, which Gold's wife filmed, and which was subsequently posted to YouTube, Parton also thanked him for years of support.

"I'm just happy that we got to have our journey together in this lifetime. I always wanna make people happy with my music, and with the things I do and the things I say," Parton said during the call. "I'm just happy to know that I've touched your life in some way. So thank you for honoring me with that."

According to the funeral information posted online, Gold's memorial service included plenty of country music, though no songs specific to Parton's discography. Vince Gill's "Go Rest High on That Mountain," John Denver's "For Baby (For Bobbie)" and the Albert E. Brumley hymn "I'll Fly Away" were all included in the service.