Ella Langley has taken to social media to share a heartfelt tribute to the late Dolly Parton, after news broke of the country legend's passing last night (August 25th) at 80. Parton's family confirmed the ‘9 to 5’ hitmaker died after a brief battle with cancer.

Via Instagram Stories, Langley underlines how grateful she is to Parton for laying the foundation in the country music world for so many female artists to follow in her footsteps.

Langley shares, “Dolly, thank you for standing up for yourself as an artist, a songwriter, a musician, a producer, an author, a creative, and most importantly a woman in this industry”.

Langley goes on, “You paved the way for so many to be brave. Thank you for being unafraid to show your most authentic self. The world needed Dolly and will never see another like it. The gates of heaven just welcomed home a beautiful soul”.

Langley's fond words join a host of other tributes from artists within country and beyond, with the likes of Reba McEntire, Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Beyoncé, Eminem, George Strait, Kacey Musgraves, Jelly Roll and more all underlining what a great influence Parton had on both their personal lives and their musical pursuits.

Many who had never met Parton have stressed that her warmth, humility and kindness radiated through her music, while those who were fortunate enough to cross paths with the ‘Jolene’ legend emphasised that she was everything you'd expect her to be.

Langley's words feel apt, with Parton's legacy not only one of country music stardom and tremendously generous philanthropy, but also one of paving the way for women in country.

Given how so many female artists like Langley, Lainey Wilson, Megan Moroney and Stella Lefty are now dominating the charts in a genre that has historically made it difficult to break through, Langley's tribute touches on a key element of Parton's lasting impact.