Farewell, Dolly

I did not want to write an obituary of Dolly Parton, a much-loved superstar and top-selling singer, songwriter and entrepreneur, who has died aged 80. The news are full of all the memories and minutiae of her life.

I just wanted to mention a detail that perhaps has escaped people’s notice.

Dolly Parton rose from poverty to fame and never forgot her roots. Her father could not read or write, so—a year before Oprah started her book club—she set up her Imagination Library, a global program that mails free, age-appropriate books to children from birth to age 5. They can receive 60 books by the time they start kindergarten, regardless of their family’s income level.

This program began in her East Tennessee home county with The Little Engine that Could and over time went global, sending nearly 300 million books to young readers in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, and Australia. It earned Parton an honorary lifetime membership in the American Library Association a few years ago.

“I will always love you” was one or her well-known ballads—and for what you did for books, and for children’s libraries, we will always love you, Dolly Parton.

And for a little amusing epilogue:

Dolly Parton famously said her motto was: “Leave no rhinestone unturned.” Which reminded me of her 1984 romantic comedy Rhinestone, in which she starred with Sylvester Stallone. This was an absolutely hilarious movie where her character bets that she can turn the next person she sees into a Nashville-style crooner. Unfortunately, the next person she sees is cocky New York City cabbie Nick (Sylvester Stallone), who can’t sing a note. Here’s a trailer:

https://youtu.be/shzTdAKjIXo?is=pFueMLRPkL3w5_FX

The movie is probably very dated by now, but at the time it was so funny, and so much in character. RIP