Dolly Parton is the hero we need. Last year she donated $1 million to research that helped develop the Moderna covid vaccine. Her Imagination Library sends a million books a month to children all over the world. Along with being an angel of mercy, Dolly is a badas* country girl from Tennessee who can make men cry when she sings acapella. Let’s just say I am fan. I grew up listening to Dolly at home and watching her in 9 to 5 and I have always felt that people didn’t give Dolly her due. Until now.
Lawmakers in Nashville are hoping to pass a bill to honor Dolly at the capitol by commissioning a statue in her likeness. The statue would be erected on capitol grounds. The lawmakers stated that the commission would be paid for from a separate account coming from donations and gifts. Below are more details from Nashville 4 News:
According to the bill, it reads:
The state capitol commission, at regularly scheduled meetings, shall develop and implement a plan for the commissioning of a statue of Dolly Parton, to recognize her for all that she has contributed to this state
The commission shall solicit input from the public and other interested parties for purposes of developing the plan, including proposed design concepts for the statue.
The Dolly Parton statue would reportedly be paid for through a separate account within the state general fund financed by gifts, grants, and other donations received from non-state sources.
“Dolly Parton is a kind decent and compassionate, for us all. She speaks to us through her songs and through her actions and she is the best example of what a leader should be today,” Representative John Windle, who introduced the bill told us today.
When we asked about who would pay for the statue, he says that state funds will not be used.
“This will be funded by private funds and certainly I won’t name who they are but several people are from music row that we all know their name have all offered to write a check and pay for it tomorrow,” Windle says.
Dolly has been a beacon of hope and a light in darkness. I will never forget Dolly in 9 to 5 nor how gracious she was when Whitney Houston reimagined “I Will Always Love You.” One of my favorite videos of Dolly is when she was teaching Patti LaBelle how to make music with her long nails. As an adult, my favorite Dolly song is “Jolene.” That song hits you the feels.
Dolly, definitely deserves this honor. He is a stand up kinda gal with hardly a lick of scandal in the 6 decades that she has been around. I’ve never heard anyone say a bad thing about Dolly which leads me to believe that she really is a gloriously, big haired, country gal gem and I love her for it. As far as helping the state of Tennessee, I believe Dolly was instrumental in making Nashville the country music capital of the U.S. I am sure there are many other charitable things that Dolly has done that have greatly impacted Tennessee that we don’t know about. With that being said, I think that for every confederate statue that is removed in the south, a statue of Dolly Parton or women like her should be erected in its place. Anyways, if this bill passes, I think I may take a trip to honor the goddess Dolly while visiting a dear friend, after I get my vaccine of course. I have always wanted to visit Nashville.
photos credit: Tina Rowden/Netflix
I love her! Such a force for good.
Some of my friends from Asia asked me about her since BTS members were really into her 2019 Grammy performance and she was kind to them in return. One of them now regularly listens to Dolly’s music. Her kindness makes her known and popular everywhere 🙂
Hear ye hear ye!
Do it Nashville! Do it for America!
Just love her to bits. She continually amazes me by the good deeds she does that we hear about, and I feel like there are many she does that we do t hear about.
Yup. We need this. Go Dolly!
So, a few years ago right after the fires in Tennessee, we visited Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area during Christmas break. There were still some small fires going on in the state, but our cabin was still available and in a safe area and Gatlinburg was still open for business (we figured they needed the business), so off we went. Dolly was on every local channel coordinating donations, we accidentally ended up in the parking lot of one of her donation centers and it was like a small city of workers/volunteers…she wasn’t screwing around! She makes things happen! She’s a Good human!
@mellie This made me tear up. She’s an angel.
She’s amazing. Really, she just sizes up the situation, figures out the best thing to do, and gets to work.
My reaction to this headline – “there isnt already a statute to her in Nashville?” She absolutely deserves one.
My favorite Dolly song is a more recent one (“recent” as in – maybe 10 years old? 15 years old?) called “Dagger Through the Heart.” Her voice in it is just heartbreaking.
Nashville is a really fun city and you should totally visit Oya when all this is over. The Country Music Hall of Fame is really worth the visit (I’ve visited it twice and both times there has been a good deal of Dolly memorabilia.)
What an absolutely awesome Idea! Just don’t let Maggie Hambling anywhere near the statue…
I like Dolly but there are far better things to spend money on right now than statues. Government money at the state and federal level should be used for things to benefit those who are hurting right now. I don’t think statues should be replaced with other statues of famous people anyway. Plant trees and flowers, things that give back to the environment.
Again, this will be paid for by private, donated funds and there is a line of country stars ready to cut a check to pay for the whole thing right now. No need to worry about tax dollars.
It involves a bill being passed and government time to do so. Also government time and funds spent on upkeep afterward. So Dolly donates her money to help people and the other country stars are inspired to pay for a statue instead of donating the money to useful causes? That’s why she stands out in the crowd.
I get the point, especially right now. I would hope all those donating are also donating to help those struggling through all this.
I would think this wouldn’t happen for some time, and hopefully we are in recovery from this pandemic by then, and I would hope that it’s done in a way that does make a beautiful little garden or something.
I’ve mentioned this on here before, but if you have time, the Dolly Parton’s America podcast is awesome. In one podcast of the series, there is a convo with a TN lawmaker (maybe this guy, I don’t recall) who talked about removing the bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest (one of the founders and early leaders of the KKK) from the state capitol and replacing him with a statue of Dolly. I hope this is what they do.
I’m here to second your recc, C-Shell!!!! Even if you don’t love Dolly (And who doesn’t love Dolly?!?!) it’s an amazing listen, full of history, and even some musicology. I loved hearing Rhiannon Giddens on there too. If you love country or old time blues check her out too she’s incredible. Both her work with Carolina Chocolate Drops and her solo stuff. What a voice. (Both she and Dolly) It’s one of my ambitions to go to Dollywood. If you want something fun look up the Dolly Suite at her hotel there. OMG I WANT TO STAY THERE!!!
Third-ing that opinion – “Dolly Parton’s America” is SO good. She’s a really special person.
Regarding “Jolene,” there’s a pair of young men on YouTube called Twinisthetrend who do reaction videos to songs they’ve never heard before.
They’re reaction to Jolene is priceless!
💖
I was in kindergarten when I first heard of her. A classmate was a rabid fan of her music and her style. She did and still does have a style that’s in a word, fabulous. She’s the embodiment of the word.
I’m 54 now and Dolly is still a relevant celebrity and still so busy, practically everywhere and doing a bit of everything. I am in awe. I feel like I’m much older and way more broken down than her! She’s just such a force! My old classmate must be so pleased. I hope my classmate is doing well. She was a happy little southern firecracker, too. I smile every time I remember her, even almost 50 years later.
I’d love to see a statue of Dolly replace a confederate one. It would make me smile. She’s just a little bundle of love and sunshine and exactly the antidote to the hate and darkness that permeates the atmosphere now.
Love her!
National Treasure.
I live in Nashville and Dolly is our Queen!!! She built an amusement and water park in the poorest part of the state and employees thousands of people. When the fires took out that same area she raised millions of dollars and personally gave $1000 a month for 6 months to families affected.
Imagination Library started here when my daughter was a baby so for her entire life, until she started kindergarten, she got a book in the mail every month. Dolly even wrote them a note in the last book, congratulating every kid on starting school. Made me cry it was so sweet and we still have that book.
You don’t need gov funds for this. I guarantee even every day Tennesseans will gladly donate to give that woman a statue.
I live in Nashville as well and she is AMAZING!! Everything that she does is wonderful. My son received her books for the first few years of his life. We go to Dollywood every year. She did organize relief and donate to victims after the Gatlinburg fires. Her home is right down the road from my parents house in Brentwood. She absolutely deserves a statue and everyone should look up to her and want to be like her.
She doesn’t already have one? As the Queen of Tennessee, she deserves a statue in every state. It wasn’t until maybe the last few years that I realized how charitable she is and how much she does for the state of Tennessee. I honestly haven’t listened to her music much but I’m a huge fan of her as a person.
❤️❤️❤️ Dolly
Love Dolly but question ‘how gracious she was when Whitney Houston reimagined “I Will Always Love You.” ‘. Dolly wrote the damn song, she got mega royalties. Graciousness had nothing to do with it. Of course she is gracious in all the right ways- the author should have done their homework.
I heard people refer to that song as “I will always love you by Whitney Houston” enough times that I think you can make the case that Dolly Parton was gracious.
She was on my aunt’s Sirius radio show. My aunt says she’s everything you imagine and more. If there are angels walking on earth, Dolly Parton is definitely one of them.
I remember seeing her on the Porter Waggoner show way back in the day. Her voice…..💗