Dolly would be near the top of any list of things all Americans can get behind. 

: (

A few years back I listened to Dolly Parton's America in-depth podcast Radiolab did about her, and it blew me away. Not just the songwriting, but the business sense and the way she handled people. A true American icon.

I saw her in Cedar Rapids 10 years ago. She performed with an astonishing level of joy and energy, just unbelievable. She represented the best of America. 

My head understood that she'd have to go eventually.  My heart still doesn't.

May her memory be a blessing.

CRYING

These amazing people keep leaving us. Gettin' tough.

Amazed (but not surprised) to see the wide variety of people mourning her on social media. Like, everyone.

We cried at work today when we found out. What a beautiful human being. 🌹

"Parton donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which helped fund research for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine."

https://www.knoxnews.com/story/entertainment/music/2026/08/25/dolly-parton-gave-the-world-the-gift-of-reading-and-a-covid-19-vaccine/86823082007/

Saint Dolly. Beaming joy into the world, giving of herself all her life, literally saving lives. born with a rare and beautiful spark that even the King's Guard across the pond outside Buckingham Palace saw fit to honor. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvaBKRaEGs4&list=RDLvaBKRaEGs4&start_radio=1

My son is eight and insists on listening to this terrible bro-country radio station in the car that embraces, for instance, Morgan Wallen without complication. So I asked him if he knew who Dolly Parton was and he said no, and I surprised myself when my voice caught as I told him about how she makes sure every kid born in her home county gets a new book every month from when they're born to when they start school. She was just incredible.

One other thing: it's worth seeking out and finding interviews with her, because she just had this incredibly joyful way with words that comes across not just in her songwriting, but in her entire manner. Seth Meyers' tribute was that her one-liners were "too dirty for church, too clean for the bar."