Parton’s gift lay in uniting everyone from God-fearing country fans to queer devotees. The way she saw me when I met her made me feel like a flower turning towards the sun

The Queen of Country, who has died aged 80, was instantly recognizable but unquestionably one of a kind, writes Kevin E G Perry. ‘I want to be remembered as somebody who took her…

Parton’s gift lay in uniting everyone from God-fearing country fans to queer devotees. The way she saw me when I met her made me feel like a flower turning towards the sun