Parting with Dolly Parton: The singer who donated millions to education and science
Dolly Parton left behind not only songs that touched millions, but also a significant legacy of massive donations to education, health, and science, including support for research during the pandemic.
Dolly Parton was many things: a singer with a unique voice, a gifted songwriter, an actress, and a sharp businesswoman. We will leave it to others to describe her contribution to the music world and focus here on Dolly Parton the philanthropist, who donated significant sums to medical research, animal welfare, and, above all, to encouraging reading and education.
"Never neglect your roots — not your home, and not your hair"
Dolly Parton was born in 1946 in Sevier County, Tennessee, into a family of 12 children. She said she inherited her musical talent from her mother, who sang Appalachian ballads. Dolly began singing in church as a child and was performing on local radio and television by age 13.
Parton often wrote about her childhood, family, the beauty of the mountains, and poverty. Among her early songs was "Coat of Many Colors," which she later called her favorite.
In 1964, after finishing school, Parton moved to Nashville, the capital of country music. She first became famous as a songwriter, but soon began singing herself, releasing her first album in 1967. Her massive success came in 1973 with the songs "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You."
The story behind the latter illustrates Parton's character. Elvis Presley wanted to record his own version, but his manager demanded half the copyright. Parton refused, despite being heartbroken. Later, when Whitney Houston recorded the song for "The Bodyguard" soundtrack, the royalties allowed Dolly to "buy Graceland" — Elvis's own estate.
"It's hard to be a diamond in a rhinestone world"
In 1988, Parton founded the Dollywood Foundation to support education in her home county of Sevier. Her "Buddy Program" helped reduce school dropout rates from 35% to 6%.
Her father, a brilliant man who never learned to read or write, inspired her to create the "Imagination Library," which sends books to children under five every month. Today, the library operates in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, and Australia, having distributed over 330 million books.
In Israel, a similar program called "Sifriyat Pijama" (Pajama Library), inspired by Parton's project, is operated by the Grinspoon Foundation in cooperation with the Ministry of Education.
"Find out who you are. And then do it on purpose"
The Dollywood Foundation also supports medicine. In 2020, Parton donated $1 million to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, funding the initial development of the Moderna vaccine. In March 2021, she famously adapted her hit "Jolene" to encourage vaccination.
"It costs a lot of money to look this cheap"
Parton's connection to science has a curious side: in 1996, the first cloned sheep was named Dolly after her, as the cell nucleus was taken from udder tissue, reminding researchers of her famous figure. Parton took it in stride, noting she was flattered but wouldn't want to be cloned herself.
Dolly Parton passed away, leaving behind not just 11 Grammy Awards, but a legacy as a figure who united diverse people. As The New York Times wrote in 2019: "Is there still something we can all agree on? Yes: Dolly Parton."
