NEW HOPE, PA — The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission marked the passing of county music legend Dolly Parton Friday and Saturday nights by lighting four of its bridges in pink.
The color reflected in the Delaware River below the New Hope-Lambertville Toll Supported Free Bridge, at the Northampton Street Bridge in Easton, and at the Frenchtown Bridge. The Trenton Makes the World Takes sign also turned pink for the two evenings.
The special illumination resonated with many on social media, who posted photos of the bridges illuminated in pink and remembered the country music icon.
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(Photo by Jeff Werner/Patch)
Looking toward Lambertville. (Photo by Jeff Werner/Patch)
One person wrote, "Love the community spirit and celebration of a life well lived."
Another posted, "She managed to bring out the best in everyone, and we wanted her around for much longer, but we were lucky to have her in the first place."
Others simply extended their thanks to the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission for making it happen.
Parton, a country music icon whose songwriting, voice, humor, and unmistakable image made her one of the most recognizable entertainers in American culture, died on Tuesday at the age of 80 in her native Tennessee.
Her nephew and head of security, Bryan Seaver, confirmed her passing in a video posted on her Instagram account. Her publicist, Marcel Pariseau, said in a statement that she had had a brief battle with cancer and died surrounded by loved ones at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Tennessee.
Parton wrote hundreds of songs, including classics like "Jolene," "Coat of Many Colors," and "I Will Always Love You," which have totaled more than 100 million in worldwide sales and more than 1 billion online streams. She also starred in several iconic movies, including "9 to 5," "The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas," and "Steel Magnolias."
"She never saw a door she couldn't open, and the doors she opened made and changed history," Seaver said in the video. "She has always been on your television, your record player, your CD and on your phone playlist, becoming an extended part of your family, whether you liked it or not."
View from New Hope. (Photo by Jeff Werner/Patch)
The New Hope-Lambertville Free Bridge. (Photo by Jeff Werner/Patch)
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