Dolly

“If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, then you are an excellent leader.” – Dolly Parton

Oh, Dolly, you taught us well with your words, your music, and the way you lived your life.

Just as I was tweaking my column for next week, I got the news of Dolly Parton’s death.

Stop the presses. Actually, put the brakes on and redirect my thoughts. I had to write about Dolly.

So, I poured myself a cup of ambition (a.k.a. coffee), sat at our kitchen table, and began to write while listening to a few Dolly Parton songs.

Whether or not you loved country music, as I do, you had to love Dolly. Although I never met her or even heard her in concert, she was part of my growing up and growing old.

I can name her songs in about five notes and sing many of the lyrics.

I was 11 years old when I first heard her sing on The Porter Wagoner Show. She sure knew how to make a statement with her songs and her style. She made fun of herself … all the way to the bank.

Her songs painted visual stories. They made you laugh, cry, and, most of all, feel.

Dolly always said her favorite song was “Coat of Many Colors.” I can relate to that song. My parents were raised in the hills of Kentucky and came from large, poor families. My mother would tell stories about how she and her sisters wore homemade and hand-me-down dresses. Mom made mine all the way through high school. I wore Couture Audrey dresses, and even my prom dresses were sewn by my mother. I was proud to wear them. Hand-sewn clothes were stitched with love. Mom would move the fabric and patterns off the dining room table when we ate supper. Those are memories that hug my heart.

Dolly said you could be poor in material wealth but rich in patience, love, understanding, and kindness.

Her second favorite song was, of course, “I Will Always Love You.” It was No. 1 on the country charts long before Whitney Houston made it skyrocket in popularity by singing it in The Bodyguard.

There will never be anyone like Dolly. When I listened to the NBC Nightly News on Tuesday evening, I held out until they played “Coat of Many Colors,” and then the tears leaked.

If you haven’t watched the movie 9 to 5, you need to. You will laugh, probably out loud. Her wit and sense of humor were Academy Award-worthy. Her words could quietly jerk a knot in the tail of even the most powerful men.

If you want a good cry, sit back with a box of tissues and watch Steel Magnolias. Dolly’s heart comes through the screen, grabs your comfort-and-joy bucket, tips it over, and the tears will fall.

If you don’t want to cry, then don’t listen to Dolly singing with Brad Paisley.

“Yeah, when I get where I’m going, and I see my Maker’s face, I’ll stand forever in the light of His amazing grace. Yeah, when I get where I’m going, there’ll be only happy tears.”

Sorry, Dolly, there are a lot of us crying with sad tears down here. You may have had a few nips and tucks, but your heart was the real deal.

Dolly was part of so many of our lives. Her music helped tell our story.

Thousands of children sit down with their parents and read books that Dolly sends them every month at no charge. Her heart was bigger than her … bank account.

Some of my favorite quotes from Dolly are:

“Find out who you are. And do it on purpose.”

“Never use religion to judge others, because if you love God, you must know that He loves all of us without exception.”

“When someone shows you their true colors, believe them.”

And of course, “I was the first woman to burn my bra – it took the fire department four days to put it out.” I loved her sense of humor.

Dolly will be remembered for her immense talent, but most of all for her character and kindness. Money can’t buy those things.

In a world full of not-so-nice people, be a Dolly.

Dolly wrote a final song she does not want released until January 19, 2046. That’s 20 years from now, when she would be 100 years old. Its title is “My Place in History.” Now my goal is to live to 90, since that’s how old I will be in 2046.

Dolly, you have left a lasting legacy. You inspired us in so many ways. You made the world a better place, and your name will go down in history as one of the most genuine people God ever blessed us to know.

And yes, Dolly, we will always love you.

Janet Hart Leonard can be contacted at janethartleonard@gmail.com or followed on Facebook or Instagram (@janethartleonard). She is the recipient of the Reporter’s Spring 2025 Ink-Stained Wretch award. Visit janethartleonard.com. You can purchase her book “When the Hart Speaks” at amazon.com/dp/B0B1C7QKF6.