While I did not grow up a fan of her music in particular or country music in general, I was very aware of who she was at a young age. She was a larger-than-life figure, and her resonance went well beyond her music. That resonance was grounded in her kindness, warmth and self-deprecating wit which kept her humble despite the fact she was among the most recognizable people in the world.
I found out about her death during a late lunch. Upon my return to the office, I shared the sad news with my colleagues who were genuinely saddened and stunned. Over the next couple of hours, I played YouTube videos of her appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson during the late 1970s. Her disposition and temperament were the same nearly half a century ago up until the day she died.
I suspect that if Dolly Parton hadn't become a world-famous country music singer, she would have probably become a successful businesswoman in Tennessee, sung songs in church and given her time and money to those in her community. As it stands, Dolly Parton was a kind woman who happened to sing beautiful songs known in every corner of the world and used her platform to help people on a very large scale in the areas of literacy, disaster relief and medical research including funding for the Moderna vaccine against COVID. She also consistently stood up for the LGBTQ community, a group which has often been treated less than kindly.
Dolly Parton lived a good life and strived to spread that goodness to as many people as possible. R.I.P.
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