John Foster Adds Emotional New Lyrics To “Tell That Angel I Love Her” To Honor Dolly Parton
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John Foster wants Dolly Parton to know how much he loved her, and he’s proving it through song.
John rose to fame on Season 23 of American Idol in 2025. He was named the runner-up of the season, with Jamal Roberts being crowned the champion.
One of John’s standout moments on the show came when he sang an original song, “Tell That Angel I Love Her.” He wrote the track in tribute to two of his friends, Maggie Dunn and Caroline Gill, who were killed in a car accident on December 31, 2022.
According to WBRZ, the accident occurred when a police officer, David Cauthron, ran a red light in pursuit of a suspect. He crashed into Maggie and Caroline’s car, resulting in their deaths.
Millions were moved by John’s lyrics and the sincerity in his voice as he sang his tearful tribute to Maggie and Caroline on American Idol. “Tell That Angel I Love Her” has since become known as his signature song.
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Following Dolly Parton’s passing, John Foster felt compelled to add some new lyrics to “Tell That Angel I Love Her.” He wrote an emotional chorus in her honor, which goes:
“Sure the sun will come up,
And like her rhinestones, it will shine,
But what we’d give to hear her sweet voice,
Sing just one more time.
Each tear that falls around the world,
Says ‘we’ll miss you,’ from afar.
Lord, won’t you tell that angel,
We will always love her,
As y’all live in the stars.”
John filmed a short video of himself singing this new chorus and shared it on social media. In the caption, he wrote:
“The lyrics in this video came to me shortly after Dolly passed, after seeing so many wonderful posts about her from so many grieving people, and I figured that Maggie and Caroline wouldn’t mind me writing another chorus of their song about someone I’m sure they both loved, and now get to have with them.”
He ended his post by saying, “Lord, tell those 3 angels, and all other loved ones that we’ve lost, that we love them!”
Watch John Foster sing his tribute to Dolly Parton in the video below.
John Foster Previously Sang “I Will Always Love You” In Remembrance Of Dolly Parton
Before honoring Dolly with new lyrics in “Tell That Angel I Love Her,” John shared another tribute. Shortly after her death, he posted a video of himself singing “I Will Always Love You.”
His breathtaking cover earned a flood of compliments from fans, with many saying they believed Dolly would be proud of his rendition. The video quickly went viral, and it has over 775,000 views at the time of this writing.
Watch that performance below to see why it has been met with such a warm response.
After Dolly passed away, her family asked everyone to consider donating to her Imagination Library in lieu of sending flowers. Dolly established the Library in 1995, and the organization has since sent over 330 million free books to children in the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland.
You can visit the Imagination Library’s website here.
Also, as John pointed out in his “Tell That Angel I Love Her” post, there are a few ways you can continue to honor Maggie Dunn and Caroline Gill.
The med Foundation was created in memory of Maggie. The organization strives to provide support to other families who have suffered the tragic loss of a young loved one. You can visit the med Foundation’s website here to learn more.
The Caroline Grace Gill Foundation was created in Caroline’s memory. The organization aims to “assist, educate, train, and support Law Enforcement so they can better protect the communities in which they serve.”
The hope is that through additional tools, technology, and training, they can help “lessen the chance of any other families having to experience the tragedy we have.” Visit the Caroline Grace Gill Foundation’s website to learn more about its mission.
