Taylor Swift shared a sweet tribute to late country music star Dolly Parton following news of her death at the age of 80.

“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,” Swift said in a statement shared with multiple media outlets on Tuesday.

The “Fearless” singer went on to describe Parton as a “gift that kept on giving,” remembering her as “someone to look up to” and a teacher of sorts, who encouraged “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 said.

“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,” she continued. “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.”

The “Delicate” singer also emphasized how “grateful” she is for all that Parton shared with her fans, including “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.”

Swift concluded: “Dolly, I’ll think of you each step of the way.”

The “Love Story” singer first crossed paths with Parton in 2010 while backstage at the Grand Ole Opry, where they both performed for the venue’s 85th birthday. They remained friends afterwards, and have not shied away from sharing their admiration for each other. Back in July, the Queen of Country took to Instagram to thank Swift and her husband, Travis Kelce, for their $2 million donation to her charitable organization, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

Parton died in Nashville following a brief battle with cancer. Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, confirmed her death in a video shared to Instagram on Tuesday.

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