(Brian Montgomery) The country music world has lost one of its greatest voices, songwriters and personalities.
Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80.
Over a career that lasted nearly six decades, Dolly became far more than a country music star. She was an entertainer, actress, businesswoman, philanthropist and one of those rare people who seemed capable of connecting with everybody.
I had the privilege of meeting Dolly several times while I was in Sacramento, and she always had a way of making you feel special. She never allowed you to feel intimidated or even in awe of her—even though you absolutely were.
She was real, genuine and truly one of a kind.
That makes one of my favorite Dolly memories even funnier.
During one of the many meet-and-greets I was fortunate enough to attend, a little girl standing in line became so excited that she simply couldn’t wait any longer. She ran up to Dolly, stopped in front of her and asked:
“Are you the real Dolly Parton?”
Without missing a beat, Dolly smiled and replied:
“Sugar, there ain’t nothing real about Dolly Parton.”
That was Dolly. She could make you feel completely comfortable; make you laugh and make you feel like you were the most important person in the room—all at the same time.
Around here, Dolly wasn’t just someone we knew from the radio, television or movies.
In August 2023, she came to Philadelphia and performed two benefit concerts at the historic Ellis Theater. Dolly donated her time to support Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music and her Imagination Library.
Thousands of fans packed downtown Philadelphia that day. Those who couldn’t get inside watched the shows outside on a giant video screen called the “DollyTron.” The benefit raised more than $1 million to help Marty Stuart continue building the Congress of Country Music.
That day gave people in Philadelphia, Neshoba County and across Central Mississippi a chance to experience what I had been fortunate enough to learn years earlier: Dolly Parton was every bit as kind, funny and genuine as she appeared to be.
Born into a family of 12 children in the mountains of East Tennessee, Dolly turned her childhood memories into songs that will last forever. “Coat of Many Colors,” “Jolene,” “Here You Come Again,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You” are only a few of the classics she leaves behind.
She sold more than 100 million records, earned 25 No. 1 country singles and became one of the most successful songwriters in music history.
Her career also included movies such as “9 to 5,” “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” and “Steel Magnolias,” along with Dollywood and the Imagination Library, which has provided hundreds of millions of free books to children around the world.
There will never be another Dolly Parton.
But thanks to her music, her generosity and the lives she touched—including the people right here in our part of Mississippi—we will always have plenty of reasons to remember her.
And we will always love her.
