Five Things We Love About Dolly Parton
There's so much to love about the Queen of Country Music - the one and only Dolly Parton! Decade after decade, she not only records incredible music, but she also leads the way in doing good deeds, saying positive things, and inspiring us to be better people.
On her 75th birthday, we wanted to list five awesome things about Dolly Parton. Here goes!
1. She wrote Jolene and I Will Always Love You on the same day.
Imagine that. You get up, have breakfast, drink a coffee, and then write two of the most iconic ballads of all time. Not a bad day's work.
2. She helped cure Coronavirus
Following a minor car accident in Tennessee, Dolly became friends with one of the doctors that oversaw her recovery. His name is Dr Naji Abumrad and Dolly made a $1m donation in his name, which helped create the Moderna vaccine. Read more here.
3. No Wedding Disco or Karaoke Night would be complete without Dolly
9 To 5... Islands In The Stream... Jolene... her music has helped introduce many people to country music, without them even realising! Along with fellow superstars Shania Twain and Taylor Swift, Dolly has brought so many people over to the country side.
4. Dolly Supports Child Literacy
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library supplied books to children aged 0-5 across the USA, Canada, Ireland, Australia and here in the UK. So far, over 150 million books have been donated, And Dolly has even been reading them to kids on YouTube! Here's one to enjoy...
5. Dolly Once Said "No" To Elvis Presley
Dolly is a smart businesswomen, which includes keeping full ownership of all of her songs. But, this lead to an awkward issue when Elvis Presley wanted to record I Will Always Love You. However, Elvis's manager demanded half of the publishing rights, which Dolly wasn't willing to negotiate. The result, no recording, and Dolly told Sky News she cried all night afterwards. Full story here.
Bonus: Dolly rocked Glastonbury!
A few years ago, Dolly Parton proved that she can still rock a massive crowd, when she performed at Glastonbury 2014. In an incredible set, Dolly performed all her classics and the crowd loved every second! Check out this performance of Jolene:
Chris Country is the UK's Country Radio Station - playing country music old and new, 24/7, including lots of Dolly! Find us on DAB Digital Radio in selected cities including London, Manchester and Glasgow, or just ask your smart speaker to "Play Chris Country Radio"/.
