Well this has been a crazy week.
When a tiny notice came up on Instagram
About Dolly Parton’s passing
Something inside me detonated.
Dolly grew up, one of 12 children in a one-room house in Eastern Tennessee.
Over 330 million books sent free to children from day of birth until they were 5, so they could learn to read, unlike her father. It started out in Tennessee in 1995 expanding to Canada, the UK, Ireland & Australia.
I love ❤️ the story of Dolly’s Coat of Many Colors her mother made for her as a child, out of scraps of colored fabric.
I always loved ❤️ her music 🎵 which touched us all at different times in our lives.
I Binge-watched so many videos 📺 about Dolly’s life.
My friend Solli, growing up in Sweden, loved ❤️ her too. She always believed Dolly’s outrageous hairdos were real ☺️
The whole world 🌎 is talking about and mourning this generous, kind, out-spoken, hugely talented artist.
Seeing how New York City lite up the Empire State Building PINK in Dolly’s honor… It made me wish Paris had lite up the Eiffel Tower pink.
How did you feel about Dolly Parton’s passing?
What was your favorite song 🎵?
❤️ 👠 💋
"I Will Always Love You" is my favorite. Dolly was an icon and was so generous and benevolent--1 million dollars to help develop a Covid vaccine, books to children, money for hurricane victims. She was a larger than life person in a little body.
ReplyDeleteWasn’t she something! Hard to do her justice in a few words.
DeleteSuch a kind, generous, gifted human being - a wonderful role model we can all look up to now.
What a beautiful tribute to Dolly, Carol <3 Your words and watercolors capture her spirit with so much warmth and love!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing not only the remarkable things Dolly did, but also the kind of person she was. She was a true inspiration, wise, intelligent, generous, compassionate, authentic and full of humour. Someone who cared deeply, gave so much, and brought light and goodness into the world, ALWAYS with a SMILE.
She touched many lives in a very special way. She will be deeply missed <3 If i have to choose a favourite song (difficult, I love so many of her songs!!) it would be Coat of Many Colors! Xx Solli
I think you could have helped me write this Solli 🥰
DeleteI liked that she said in an interview that she regretted nothing because at the time, she thought she was doing the right thing. Her outlook on life lit her being. RIP.
ReplyDelete❤️ Dolly made you think about your own life choices.
DeleteFabulous tribute, Carol❣️ I think Dolly resonated with people because she was always positive, her message was always one of love. Plus, she did so much good with her money.
ReplyDeleteThe lighting pink of the Empire State Building in NYC, as well as the Zakim Bridge in Boston et al, was done at 9:25, Nine to Five, in honor of the song she wrote for the movie she starred in with Jane Fonda & Lily Tomlin. ❤️
Love your Eiffel/Little Prince watercolor. I Will Always Love You is my favorite, gives me chills down my spine every time I hear it.
Delete9 2 5 / 9:25 That is amazing!
DeleteI watched her on the Porter Wagoner show when I was just a young girl. It wasn't long before she left him in the shadows and burst onto the world stage. She sang with Queen Latifah and seemed right at home. I don't think Dolly ever met a stranger. She was certainly no stranger to the world. We miss her already. May she RIP.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely Everyone she met loved ❤️ her.
DeleteShe is the epitome of the world being a poorer place in so many ways without her! And I love your picture above with the little prince and pink riffle tower! Please put that one on Etsy!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.etsy.com/listing/1481510974/swimming-in-the-seine-1-original-artwork
DeleteI loved 9 to 5, her with Lily Tomlin! She is the epitome of the world being a poorer place in so many ways without her. Love the Little Prince with pink Eiffle Tower - please put this on Etsy!
ReplyDeleteThank you Margie ❤️
DeleteI will.
"I Will Always Love You," and "Here You Come Again," because I lived them both.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite thing about Dolly besides kindness was her generosity that she DID NOT talk about, all the good she has done that NO ONE even knows. Never bragging, "Look what I did," like some people. Sharing her wealth…..
PS Your portrait is beautiful. Judy
Thank you Judy ❤️
DeleteDolly Parton makes some celebrities look useless and empty. And the excessively wealthy despicable.
I knew Dolly used her money to purchase books for children and her funding of COVID research. We have all been fortunate for her generosity and kindness in her quiet way of giving. The powers that be should be ashamed in their greed and uselessness. I am sure there are many other acts of good she accomplished that will go unannounced.
ReplyDeleteNeil K. Shah has some things to say about Dolly’s acts of generosity we don’t know a out.
Deletehttps://youtu.be/LaGRStZ0nkM?si=L3c6WT7uJlunnLLO
Agree with all the comments. She was talented and generous. Sad to say, I wish she hadn't used the breasts, the big blonde hair and the tiny waist as her trademarks, making her female body such a caricature.
ReplyDeleteMy people are from Appalachian mountain Tennessee so there was a way in which my heart was always so grateful to her and the ways she maintained her personal integrity. At this point in my life as an elder gay woman, I am most impressed by her kindness and her superior ability to walk her talk without being partisan or being a muckraker or leveraging it in a look-at-me-way. I wish she had not felt the need to torture her body or her appearance but she made herself, on purpose and on her own termns, a true caricature of what the patriarchal world sees as a woman and used it as a tool to become unbelievably successful... and did this despite the blocks and walls that are put up to thwart women and especially poverty born women from Appalachia. She will be sorely missed. Thank you for posting about her.
ReplyDeleteThank you Nancy Jane ❤️ for your insightful point of view.
DeleteDolly had a unique way of dealing with success, fame, fortune and her image that few others have achieved. One part of her was pure fantasy and the other was deeply grounded in giving back to her town, her state and enriching future generations. A legendary woman.
Sweet. I’ve only seen her once in the movie 9 to 5 but she’s influenced my life for a long time. She was dynamic. AWA Catering
ReplyDeleteI loved ‘9 to 5’. That film was a catalyst for changing women in the workplace.
Deletehttps://youtu.be/ZbZGhWGrq8A?si=6ioEwmyyuLRJFOmj
DEAR CAROL, THANK YOU FOR THIS . I DID NOT KNOW MUCH OF IT EITHER!
ReplyDeleteMUCH APPRECIATION,
JACQUELYN GOUDEAU,
BAY AREA, CA
You’re very welcome Jacquelyn ❤️
DeleteDolly used her fame, power, and money always for good. And remained unabashedly herself, no matter what anyone else wanted her to be, We need more sheroes like Dolly!
ReplyDeletePERFECT description of Dolly Parton 🙏
DeleteDolly is like a Marvel character - an Amazon woman of amazing strength, and grace. If we can all try to be more like Dolly ❤️
Carol
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this wonderful post and your watercolors of Dolly are just so amazing 🤩 it’s a true tribute to the beautiful person both inside and out that was Dolly not only that , I always thought she was just so funny her sense of humor and timing Superb ! Dolly could handle herself in any situation and just shine doing it too !
Rest in Peace Sweet Angel Dolly😇
We will always LOVE YOU !! ❤️❤️❤️
She touched us all through her music 🎵 and kindness.
DeleteP.S. Jeff Besos gave Dolly 100 million dollars because he knew she would do good things with that money 💰 that was Dolly as a philanthropic person she did really good things for people all different kinds of people too
ReplyDeleteBesos gave her that money for the IMAGINARY LIBRARY 📚
DeleteOui good things she did with that money
DeleteI am very close to Dolly’s age and in her first years of performing I thought she had a “gimmick “ and I wasn’t a fan. As her talent went into so many directions I gave her more credit. In the last few decades, I was overwhelmed by her gift to our country by being positive and proactive. I hope her legacy is picked up by others so it doesn’t fade. We NEED more Dollys. Rest in peace as she did it all.
ReplyDeleteDolly had a quiet way of persuading you she was more than glittery rhinestones and pouffy hair. She kept much of her charity work secret, like a rehab center at the hospital and huge donations for cancer care for children at Vanderbilt. Her little niece was a leukemia patient there for 4 years until cured.
DeleteThere aren't enough words to describe what a true treasure she was and how many lives she impacted in a positive way. "I Will Always Love You" is my favorite. May she Rest in Peace.
ReplyDeleteToo true Suki. I wasn’t sure I could do Dolly justice, but it was a way to stop binge watching and try to deal with my feelings ❤️
DeleteMy mom always said, ‘pretty is as pretty does’ …well, Dolly was gorgeous inside and out, delightful, kind, generous, encouraging.…etc. Thank you so much for this post, well said …and beautiful watercolors!! Best, Virginia
ReplyDeleteThanks Virginia ❤️
DeleteCarol what a lovely tribute to Dolly and I love your painting of her. She was bright light in this world. She inspired so many of us to be better and her music will live on as she wrote so many beautiful songs. I Will Always Love You is probably my favorite along with Coat Of Many Colors but there are so many great songs. The last song she released was on her 80th birthday in January and I love it. Light Of A Clear Blue Morning. So uplifting. Do look it up on You Tube. Dolly did so much in her lifetime for others. She will be greatly missed. RIP Dolly. -Suzanne P.
ReplyDeleteThat song starts this movie 🎥
Deletehttps://youtu.be/K04GZlwvuaE?si=NGzjcdX2cK8GDFHb
Dolly left this world humbly and quietly. We could all take a lesson from that. My grandfather grew up in the foothills of Tennessee not too far from where she did, though some 30 years earlier, in the pits of poverty. It was an area of depression at the time. My favorite song is 'Have you seen my dear companion ", sung with Linda Ronstadt & Emmy Lou Harris. Loved seeing the Empire State Bldg lit up in pink
ReplyDeleteThank you for your story. I have never been to Appalachia, but now I would love to go to DOLLYVILLE ❤️
DeleteI have always loved Dolly and I’m very sad to hear of her passing. I think all her music was great and she had the biggest heart of all❤️🥲
ReplyDelete❤️ ❤️ ❤️
DeleteLovely paintings Carol, a fully Dolly head of hair and the pink Eiffel Tower. She was unique and did lots of good in the world but most importantly gave us many many amazing songs. 🎵🩷
ReplyDeleteDolly loved ❤️ Australia 🇦🇺
DeleteDolly!
ReplyDelete