"Workin' 9 to 5": In Memory of Dolly Parton
Dolly was born on January 19, 1946, in a small town in Sevier County Tennessee. She was born into poverty and helped to raise her 8 younger siblings. When she was 6, her mother, Avie, helped transcribe the song Dolly had written about her corncob doll Little Tiny Tasseltop. By the age of 10, she was performing on television, and only a year later she recorded her first song. At 16, Dolly became a professional songwriter and wrote her 1st of 49 albums. As she released her songs, she became featured on television shows and won 52 awards for her music.
All of her fame allowed her to become very wealthy. Unlike many people who grew up in poverty, she didn't hoard her wealth but chose to share it with others.
In 1988, Dolly started the Dollywood Foundation with the express intent of improving educational outcomes in Sevier County. Initially, the program promised 7th and 8th graders in Sevier County 500 dollars, if they didn't drop out of high school. This helped decrease the dropout rate from 35% to 6%. The Dollywood Foundation also started the Imagination Library in Sevier County. This program sent one book a month to children under the age of 5 in hopes of inspiring a love of reading. The foundation also grew to offer five $15,000 scholarships to seniors in Sevier County. Starting in 2022, employees of Dollywood who wanted to go to college had tuition, books, and fees, paid by the Dollywood theme park.
The Dollywood Foundation expanded its outreach in 2016 when horrible fires spread through Sevier County, destroying the homes of many of the residents. The Dollywood Foundation created the My People Fund to help the 1,000 families who lost their homes. The fund distributed $1,000 a month for 6 months to each family who lost their home. After Hurricane Helene in 2024, Dolly donated $2 million dollars to relief efforts.
Through the Dollywood foundation, Dolly used her wealth to raise and donate money to the American Red Cross and HIV/AIDS research. Dolly also donated money to support a children's hospital in honor of her niece who had been successfully treated for leukemia and $1 million dollars to research the COVID-19 vaccine.
Even in her daily life, Dolly was an advocate for everyone. Despite being politically neutral, she supported inclusion for all people, including the LGBTQIA+ community and other underserved populations.
Dolly Parton was a beloved public figure who helped millions of people. Her legacy will be felt for decades to come.
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