Dollymaxxing

When you think of Dolly Parton, you think of her being larger than life. An amazing country singer, songwriter, philanthropist, and actress. She was most notable for her appearance, with her big blond hair, rhinestones, and big boobs. But this isn’t the only thing that made her an icon; it was that she never took shit from anyone, and all the work she did to better people. 

Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on January 19, 1946, and was one of 12 children with whom she shared a three-bedroom cabin in the Appalachian Mountains in Tennessee. In an article by The Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Parton’s upbringing drove her ambition to escape her circumstances, and it was represented in many of her first songs, which she wrote about her experience and life in Appalachia. 

She was named the “Queen of Country” due to the fact that she was the most successful country music performer in history. Some of her most famous songs are “Jolene”, “ Coat of Many Colors”, “I Will Always Love You” and “9 to 5”. Not only was she well known for her famous country music songs, but also for her role in many different movies such as  Steel Magnolias, 9 to 5, and Rhinestone. Some of the movies and shows she starred in are what inspired her to create some of her songs. You can hear some of her songs in these movies she starred in such as 9 to 5! Not only was Parton a major public icon, but she also dedicated decades of her life’s work to a variety of different foundations and charities. 

It has been estimated that within Dolly’s lifetime she has donated about 600 million dollars to a variety of different charities and scholarships. She created The Dollywood Foundation in 1988 with the goal to inspire children in her hometown to achieve educational success. In the 90s, Dolly told the 7th and 8th graders that she would take it upon herself to give each of them $500 if they graduated high school. This incentive helped decrease the dropout rate from 35% to 6% in the county. 

In addition to the Dollywood Foundation,  Parton also created Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The Library was started in 1995 by Parton herself for the children within her country. Since the creation of the library, the program now spans across five countries, which are the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland. 

According to the Imagination Library website, there are 3,197,250 children that are enrolled in

the library and 332,411,218 books that have been gifted to them. She started this library as a way to inspire each of these children’s dreams by giving them a chance to create their own imagination through reading these books. 

The website quotes Parton saying, “The seeds of these dreams are often found in books, and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.” This foundation is much bigger than just children reading books; it’s about these children being given the opportunity to create their own life and being able to go on in their education and believe in achieving their dreams. 

Not only did Parton care so deeply for children’s education, but she also created the My People Fund after the 2016 Smoky Mountain wildfires. This fund raised nearly 9 to 12 million dollars and distributed $1,000 a month while the fund was happening, plus a final $5,000 bonus check, giving a total of $10,000 to over 900 families who lost their housing and jobs. She also contributed millions toward flood and hurricane recovery, which includes $2 million for Hurricane Helene relief in 2024. In addition, she also donated approximately 2 million dollars to COVID-19 medical research in 2020 and 2022. 

Not only was she known for all of her good deeds throughout her lifetime, but she also has her own hotel in Nashville, Tennessee that people can stay at and her own museum in Nashville,  which opens September 29, 2026. Unfortunately,  Parton passed away on August 25, 2026, at 80 years old, before she had the ability to see both of these places’ grand openings. The Country Music Hall of Fame has since created a Dolly Parton Tribute to celebrate her life. People can purchase tickets for the museum with general admission starting at $24.99 or get to experience her life in the theme park with a day pass for $94.99. 

Even though Dolly has sadly passed away, she was able to leave a long-lasting legacy and touched millions of people with her songs and her kind heart. She will shine bright among the stars.