Fans and fellow musicians are remembering Dolly Parton as a 'giant of an artist'.

The singer, from Tennessee, is being remembered as a 'bright, shining star' with an 'everlasting legacy'.

The country music icon had been battling cancer when she passed away surrounded by her loved ones.

American Country singer and musician, Dolly Parton, around 1975

Taylor Swift says a world without Dolly Parton "doesn't feel possible, real or right".

The songwriter - whose hits include Jolene, 9 to 5 and I Will Always Love You -  sold more than 100 million records over her career spanning seven decades.

As well as winning 11 Grammy Awards, she also had a successful business career, opening the Dollywood theme park in 1986.

Dolly Parton 1977. Photo by Adam Scull-PHOTOlink /MediaPunch

Her work extended beyond music and acting, as she launched a free programme to gift books to children around the world, including more than 200,000 books for children in Ireland.

Flags are being lowered across America for a week, while the lights on New York's Empire State Building turned to a 'pink sparkle' on Tuesday night in honour of the singer.