The entertainment industry and the world at large lost a true icon this week, as Dolly Parton sadly passed away at the age of 80. A beloved singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist, Parton has been widely mourned by fans and celebrities alike. While the star is no longer with us, her impact will surely continue to be felt, especially since she still has art that hasn’t been shared. For a little while now, it’s been known that Parton has a “secret song” that’s still in the vault and, after her death, it’s hard not to think about her discussing it. During her lifetime, Parton had several myths or legends that swirl around her life and career, and she answered some questions on that front during an interview on The Tonight Show a few years ago. One of the queries that Fallon posed to her was the assertion that she had a tune locked away in a vault of sorts that wouldn’t be released until the 2040s. Parton confirmed that to be true, and her comments on not being around to hear it are incredibly bittersweet. Take a look:And, in hindsight, it’s particularly heartbreaking to hear her say she “regretted” doing that, because it’s a “good song.” While Parton wished she could “dig up” the song and listen to it, I love the sweet message she had for those in the audience:If any of you are around when they open that box, well, I hope you enjoy my song.It would be an understatement to say that Dolly Parton was always full of surprises, and her reveal about that unreleased piece of music represents just one instance of that. As much of a widely known public figure as she was, the general public may not have been aware of some of her gigs and endeavors. I honestly didn’t even know she was a producer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer until a few years ago. Parton was multifaceted – both as a person and as an artist – and I think that’s something her fans will miss about her. More on Dolly Parton9 To 5 Is One Of My Favorite Comedies, And Lily Tomlin And Jane Fonda’s Tributes To Dolly Parton Had Me EmotionalThe “Jolene” singer sadly passed away on August 25 after having dealt with a previously undisclosed medical issue for much of the past year. Following Parton’s death, her representative confirmed that she’d recently had a brief battle with cancer. Although Parton kept aspects of her illness to herself, she was never shy about making mortality-related quips. She even once made a joke about the idea that she could “drop dead” amid a performance.Parton’s sense of humor is arguably another aspect of her personality that made her so timeless. While her work predated a lot of contemporary artists, Parton had no problem connecting with the new crop of singers and songwriters. She notably collaborated with Miley Cyrus (to whom she was a godmother) and, for one of her final collaborations, Parton worked with Sabrina Carpenter. All in all, the love and respect for Dolly Parton’s music spanned generations and, with that in mind, I imagine there will be immense excitement when that secret song is released in 2045. That moment will indeed be bittersweet since Parton won’t be with us, but I’d like to believe she’d be happy about her wishes being respected after her passing.