Sue Cameron, Hollywood journalist and valley resident, shares her Dolly Parton story

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) - Hollywood journalist and Coachella Valley resident Sue Cameron joined News Channel 3 live in studio to remember the legendary Dolly Parton, who died on Tuesday at the age of 80.

Cameron met Parton numerous times over the years.

"Dolly Parton was real. Dolly Parton did not have a public persona and one at home. There was Dolly, who was just Dolly, the kindest, most wonderful person I have really ever met," Cameron said. "I used to say Carol Burnett, and forget Dolly, but I'm telling you, Dolly was a saint. I think that her song 'I Will Always Love You' is the American anthem for love. I think it will last as long as our national anthem. Probably one of the best songs ever written, to be honest, absolutely.

Cameron shared a story about Parton during the "9 to 5" stage musical, which premiered in 2009.

"She took the Almondson Theater in Los Angeles and invited a lot of her friends and the public to see it and get their notes afterwards. And what she did was, unfortunately, the show wasn't quite ready, and a computer broke for all the light cues, and it was gonna be 45 minutes before we could fixed. She got up on stage with nothing, no musical instruments, nothing, and she went, and she sang for 45 minutes. She used her nails as percussion and she sang for 45 minutes because she didn't want us to be waiting. She wanted to help us and be kind and get through it. Who does that?" Cameron recalled.

Cameron remembers Parton as a "true entertainer and also a philanthropist."

"She gave $200 million for the next 5 years for books for schoolchildren, $12 million for a fire. Several 100,000 for floods. This foundation that she has will go on and on and on. She, to me, she was a queen and one of the most lovable icons, and she will never ever be forgotten," Cameron said.

Check Out: Michael Childers, who captured famous Dolly Parton portraits, remembers the music icon