Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to Dolly Parton following her shock death on Tuesday aged 80, revealing their surprising connection.The Prime Minister, 63, shared a post on social media on Wednesday morning paying tribute to the iconic singer, revealing he helped bring her $30million tour to Australia in 2011 when he was the transport minister.He posted a throwback photo of Parton giving him a huge hug and captioned it with some precious words. ‘Dolly Parton made our world a better place in so many ways, it’s hard to imagine the world without her. A singer and songwriter of rare power and talent, she also shone brightly as an actor, author and philanthropist,’ Albanese began.’And the big, radiant heart of the Dolly universe was a personality as strong as it was compassionate, a vivacious woman of great humour and a sense of humanity sustained in no small part by the humble strength of her roots.’He added that a highlight of his time in office was helping Parton overcome some bureaucratic challenges after her massive tour bus ran into trouble with Australian authorities because it was too long and wide, putting the $30million tour at risk. Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to Dolly Parton following her shock death on Tuesday aged 80, revealing their surprising connectionAlbanese intervened as transport minister, helping clear the way for the tour to proceed.’One of the joys of my time in Government was when I was able to help Dolly overcome a bit of red tape and get her tour bus onto Australian roads in 2011,’ he said. ‘It was a magical experience meeting her, but what was even better was seeing her among her legions of local fans. There are a lot of broken hearts in Australia and across the world today. Wherever you are, turn your stereo or your phone to Dolly then turn the volume up. May the great Dolly Parton rest in peace.’Parton was famously grateful to Albanese for helping get her into Australia.Before arriving Down Under, her management passed on a message that she would give the then-minister a ‘huge cuddle’ for helping save the tour.True to her word, she later embraced Albanese when the pair met outside one of her Australian shows.The singer’s 2011 Australian tour was her first Down Under in 25 years and saw her perform for thousands of fans across the country.Her death prompted an outpouring of tributes from around the world to one of the most beloved entertainers of all time. The Prime Minister, 63, shared a post on social media on Wednesday morning paying tribute to the iconic singer, revealing he helped bring her $30million tour to Australia in 2011 when he was the transport minister – and she rewarded him with a big hug He said that a highlight of his time in office was helping Parton overcome some bureaucratic challenges so she could tour the countryParton, who is often referred to as the Queen of Country, enjoyed an illustrious music career that spanned an incredible six decades and was arguably best known for her hits Jolene and 9 to 5. Her passing came after months of health woes that saw her pull out of a string of public appearances, fuelling fan fears for her wellbeing.Family insiders indicated that a private service for close friends and relations will be held in Nashville within the next few days.In an interview published just four days before her death, Parton had declared she still had ‘so many things I want to achieve’ and vowed to continue ‘working as long as I can to see everything come to life,’ via People.She explained that she had been grappling with ‘some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over [husband] Carl.’