OPINION:
Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday at age 80, was truly an American icon. Her unique voice brought joy to millions.
She started life in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee as one of 12 children living in an Appalachian cabin. Her father was an illiterate sharecropper. Dolly donated generously to libraries and literacy programs around the world.
She began composing songs before she could even write, with her mother’s help. At age 10, she started singing on the radio, and at 13, she debuted at the legendary Grand Ole Opry.
In the course of her career, Dolly Parton composed more than 3,000 songs and had nine solo singles that reached No. 1 on the Billboard country and pop charts.
She performed in concerts across the United States and toured Europe, Asia and Australia. Her honors included 11 Grammys, a Kennedy Center Honor, 10 Country Music Association Awards and four People’s Choice Awards.
Dolly Parton also appeared in such popular films as “9 to 5,” “Steel Magnolias,” “Straight Talk,” “Rhinestone” and “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.”
To create jobs for the people of East Tennessee, she opened Dollywood in 1986. Celebrating the spirit of the Smoky Mountains, Dollywood draws more than 4 million visitors annually.
Over the years, Dolly Parton gave millions of dollars to charity. In 1988, she started the Dollywood Foundation, which served the people of East Tennessee by providing scholarships to promising students. Since its inception in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has donated more than 300 million books to children around the world.
Dolly Parton stood for the values of her roots: faith, family and patriotism. She and her husband, Carl Dean, who died in 2025, were married for nearly 60 years. They were regular churchgoers and had a small, private chapel built on their property. She recorded many gospel songs on albums such as “The Golden Streets of Glory” and “Precious Memories.”
Dolly Parton liked to describe herself as nonpolitical but patriotic. During Operation Desert Storm, she performed at U.S. military bases to boost morale. On Veterans Day 2003, she released her album “For God and Country.”
To honor this great lady, President Trump ordered the flag to be flown at half-staff until Sept. 1.
In her 80 years, Dolly Parton traveled far. Now that she is gone, we will carry her with us in our hearts.
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