Nov 30 2008
Dolly Parton
Born January 19, 1946 as the fourth of twelve children in Sevierville, Tennessee Dolly Parton rose above her meager beginnings to become one of the most recognizable entertainers in the world. Dolly has never shied away from telling the story of her impoverished childhood and the influence that the church and particularly the music of the church has had on her. Dolly Parton is truly an icon who has never forgot her roots.
My first awareness of Dolly was through the song Here You Come Again for which she won the Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 1978. I recall my parents listening to this song on the radio and it definitely made an impression on me. If you have never heard this song I would definitely say hit play on the following YouTube video to give it a listen!
From that time forward, whether it was her wildly successful 1983 duet with Kenny Rogers entitled Islands In The Stream to her 42nd studio album released in 2008 entitled Backwoods Barbie , which also represents her return to mainstream country music, Dolly began to reappear in my pop culture consciousness. Dolly solidified her reputation as a respected actress by branching out into acting with her role in the classic film 9 to 5 that costarred Lily Tomlin , Jane Fonda , and Dabney Coleman right up to the pending release, April 10, 2009 of Hannah Montana: The Movie .
Beyond the glitz and glamor that the public sees when they look at Dolly Parton, their is the philanthropic side of Dolly. Her initiative, Imagination Library that is administered through the Dollywood Foundation, is a model of success in facilitating early childhood literacy. Dolly has also been recognized for her efforts in preserving bald eagles through the American Eagle Foundation ’s sanctuary at Dollywood. And speaking of Dollywood, her efforts at developing tourism in east Tennessee have brought thousands of jobs to the region. Dolly is also very active with the Red Cross and numerous HIV/AIDS related charities.
Dolly Parton is one of east Tennessee’s true gems. We, in this region of the country, value the contributions of Dolly Parton on many levels. She epitomizes what it means to be what it means to be a consummate superstar while remaining firmly grounded by the mountains of east Tennessee that informs so much of her character.
