Jennifer Aniston recounted life advice from her late friend, country music legend Dolly Parton, during a recent interview. Aniston, 57, shared that Parton, who passed away at age 80, once told her, "I chased a few rainbows and I caught some. So I would say just go chase your dreams and go catch some rainbows. Chase rainbows."
Aniston referred to Parton as a "dear friend" while speaking with her boyfriend, Jim Curtis, at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. The two women collaborated on the 2018 film Dumplin', in which Aniston starred and Parton contributed music to the soundtrack. The film features a plus-size teenager inspired by Parton's music.
Parton died last week after a private battle with cancer. Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced her death, relaying her wish to "rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life of wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest." He described his aunt as having "lived in the light" and now being "in the arms of Jesus."
Parton's husband, Carl Dean, died in March 2025 at age 82. The couple married in May 1966, meeting two years prior at a Nashville laundromat. Dean, described by Parton as a "homebody" who was "not the least bit interested in being in" public events, remained a private but supportive figure throughout her career. Parton recounted in a 2023 documentary that Dean's disinterest in attending events stemmed from a negative experience at an awards show early in their marriage. The couple renewed their vows in 2016, and Parton often spoke of their shared sense of humor. "He's quiet and I'm loud, and we're funny…we have a lot of fun," she said.
Parton, born January 19, 1946, in Pittman Center, Tennessee, was the fourth of 12 children. She forged a six-decade music career, achieving widespread fame for hits like "Jolene" and "9 to 5." In interviews shortly before her death, Parton expressed a desire to continue working and achieve more goals, noting she had been dealing with "some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl."
"Jolene," released in 1973, was partly inspired by a bank teller who flirted with Dean. Parton later recounted how she "put a stop to that" by confronting the woman.
