Dolly Parton died today at the age of 80. We have all heard about her health issues over the last couple of years, but this still came as quite a shock to me. Parton was an iconic country music singer and actress who was universally loved. I am 53 and remember her as a child from movies such as “Rhinestone” and “9 to 5.” It is safe to say that she was one of the most famous people in the world at the time. In a world where there were only three television channels, it seemed like she was on every music special, awards show, and late-night talk show that existed.
The announcement of her death was made on her social media page…
JM: A video message from her family was also posted…
JM: “I will always love you” was her one hit song in June of 1974. I consider Dolly Parton to be one of the best singers I have ever heard.
JM: When I first heard the flags would be lowered in Dolly’s honor for a week, I thought that may be excessive, but it really isn’t. She might deserve longer than that!
JM: Was there a more generous philanthropist than Dolly Parton? Doubtful.
JM: A little lighthearted humor, but she wasn’t only known for her music, acting, and philanthropy.
One of my favorite quartets told a joke during their shows that went something like this…
“Knock, knock.”
“Come on in.”
“No, knock, knock.”
“Come on in.”
“No, it’s a knock, knock joke. I say knock, knock, and you say ‘who’s there?'”
“Oh, okay.”
“Knock, knock.”
“Who’s there?
“Dolly Parton!”
“COME ON IN!!!”
JM: Dolly had a great sense of humor about her attractiveness.
JM: The song ‘9 to 5″ is my earliest memory of Dolly Parton. This song was played on the radio almost constantly in 1981, when it was the number one song in the world.
JM: Dolly Parton was a staple on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. There are tons of clips other than this one if you want to go down the rabbit hole on YouTube…
JM: This duet by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton is still considered one of the most popular live performances in music history.
JM: Can’t write a blog post about Dolly Parton without including a performance of “Jolene.”
JM: Also can’t write a blog about Dolly Parton without including a performance of “I will always love you.”
JM: A year’s salary? Yeah, I might, too! 😂
JM: Even Major League Baseball posted a tribute with a portrait of Dolly posing with the Yankees on Dolly Parton night.
JM: I happened upon this old video by Knox County, Tennessee mayor Glenn Jacobs, also known as the professional wrestler “Kane.” He had quite a few posts referring to Dolly Parton’s philanthropy.
JM: She never stopped giving money and helping people.
JM: I don’t think anyone else could provide a better obituary, so I’ll end here. Rest in Peace, Dolly Parton. You will definitely be missed.