Tributes pour in for American singer Dolly Parton

Tributes continue to pour in for Dolly Parton, the American singer, songwriter and entertainer who has died at the age of 80.

Parton had fans from around the world, including, reportedly, Nelson Mandela.

Dolly Parton was unquestionably an icon, both in America and around the world, as her family announced the news of her death at age 80.

People from all walks of life have paid their respects.

Parton rose from humble beginnings, growing up in a one-room cabin in rural Tennessee, to the peak of entertainment stardom, becoming one of the faces of country music and a household name through songs like Jolene and Islands in the Stream.

Anti-apartheid activist, Tokyo Sexwale, who was imprisoned with Nelson Mandela, said that when Mandela was allowed to choose music to play over the prison loudspeakers, he chose Jolene.

Parton also starred in movies, including ‘9 to 5’ and ‘Steel Magnolias’. -Reporting by Ira Spitzer Related video| Tributes pour in for Dolly Parton: