There are some people who transcend a single role in life. Dolly Parton was one of those people.
She was known for her music, her style, her movies, and her songwriting, but she was also a shrewd businesswoman and a philanthropist who cared about helping people. For example, she invested in an old amusement park to help bring jobs to the county where she grew up, a move that some found laughable. It became Dollywood, an economic engine that was voted the #1 amusement park in the nation in a 2025 TripAdvisor poll.
Dolly did more than write songs, amazing as those are. (And every mention of Dolly starts a new soundtrack in my head!) She wrote books as well, including her autobiography Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business, co-authored a cookbook with her sister Rachel called Good Lookin' Cookin', and co-authored a novel with James Patterson called Run Rose Run. Dolly also recorded a music CD by the same name with 12 songs inspired by the book.
One thing is mentioned over and over again in the tributes: Dolly's Imagination Library. Her dream of sending books to children from birth to age five was inspired by her father, whose inability to read or write limited his ability to achieve what he wanted. The Imagination Library started in our region and quickly spread across the nation. It's now even international, with Imagination Library branches in Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the UK.
Dolly knew the power that reading can bestow. She wanted to give that power to every child. Her family has requested that people who want to remember Dolly donate to her Imagination Library.
Dolly Parton, we will always love you.
The library set up a display which includes a Dolly coloring sheet designed by IG @toylibrarian who gave permission for it to be copied and distributed.
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