A love letter of sorts to cultural phenom, once in a generation human, and personal hero: Dolly Parton 🦋
During the early days of the pandemic I was spending time with my parents in Park City, a beautiful little mountain town where they had been living for a few years. Every morning I’d wake up, layer up, and go for a long walk through what felt like a desolate and abandoned western TV set. Equal parts eerie and peaceful. Just thinking about it now brings back such a strange stir of emotions.
One day I started to listening to Dolly Parton’s America, a 9 episode podcast journey into the Dollyverse by WNYC Studios, hosted by Jad Abunrad. I was hooked from the very first episode, and my morning walk and listening ritual became a bright moment during an otherwise ominous time.
Rather than a documentary style podcast on her career and achievements, the podcast was produced in a way that explored the “why” and the “how” behind Dolly’s success. As a pop culture fixture, Dolly does something that almost all of her peers can’t seem to do. She transcends genre, class, religion, gender, politics, and decades. Everyone from Appalachian grandmothers to coastal intellectuals to drag queens to Republicans and Democrats all claim her as one of their own. And in April 2020, the country (& the world for that matter) was more divided than ever.
I’d always loved her music and her persona. What’s not to love about twangy country pop from a clever bombshell of a woman who’s always covered in rhinestones and butterflies? But this podcast swiftly turned my passive interest into awe. In the years since, I feel like I’ve become both a devoted fan, and also student; someone who pays attention to the way she lives her life, the choices she makes, and the energy she puts out into the world.
Here are some of the little Dollyisms I’ve picked up along the way:
Don’t forget your roots. Dolly’s always celebrated and respected her humble upbringing in Tennessee, it’s at the heart of everything she does. Her continued loyalty to Appalachia keeps her grounded and real.
Femininity is a superpower. What makes Dolly especially appealing to me, and many others, is her fearless celebration of womanhood. The glitz, the glam, the boobs, the blonde, the hyper-feminine… it’s who she is! Leaning in became part of her business strategy. And she was all the more successful for it.
Motherhood isn’t the only marker of a successful life as a woman. For as traditional of an upbringing as this southern girl had, Dolly’s very intentional choice to not have children was modern. I appreciate how candidly she speaks on this and how her role in her family as a sister, aunt, godmother, etc. remains one of importance.
Actions speak louder, and more authentically, than words. One of the most interesting parts of the podcast is the conflict and trepidation Dolly has with the label ‘feminist.’ She tends to stay out of politically charged conversations straight on and the word felt too strong, too polarizing for her… despite embodying its core values of financial independence, creative control, and self-determination. By letting her life speak instead, she remained accessible to women who might never claim the word ‘feminist,’ while still modeling its ideals. This was a very nuanced and important episode in the podcast. I loved it. [Dollitics, Dolly Parton’s America].
Dolly for President (pls) Joy is radical! Dolly is fun and silly and cheeky! She lives her life colorfully and consistently chooses joy, happiness, optimism and whimsy… even when the world’s on fire.
Know your worth and refuse to sell yourself for less. Even if the buyer is Elvis Presley. Dolly famously denied Elvis recording I Will Always Love You as his management was demanding half the publishing rights. She knew it was going to be one of her most important copyrights so she didn’t move forward with the partnership. Her intuition was right, of course, and when Whitney Houston sang it years later it become her highest grossing song of all time. Girlbo$$.
Generosity builds legacy. She’d be a billionaire if she didn’t give so much away! Her Imagination Library has given over 300M books to children, she donated $1M to Moderna to help fund the COVID vaccine (political actions speaking louder than words). She’s always doing good.
You’re never too old to try something new. Today is Dolly’s 80th birthday and she’s gearing up for a Las Vegas residency in September (which by the grace of all things good I will be attending!!!). Age is but a number!
Sparkles make everything better. :) :)
My favorite song of Dolly’s is Light of a Clear Blue Morning. She released a new version last Friday with Miley, Lainey, Reba, and Queen Latifah, and it’s gorgeous… but I still prefer the original.
I listen to it whenever I need a reminder that everything’s gonna be alright, it’s gonna be okay. Maybe you’ll enjoy it, too.
Happy birthday, icon. I’m so glad we exist in the same lifetime! 🦋
xx Caylee
rest in peace to a true icon and queen 🩷🥹
I have been playing Light of a Clear Blue Morning (old AND new version) on repeat for the last 2 days. It is exactly the feel good song I needed in my life right now! Thank you for sharing!