Today, we lost one of the Masters. Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80, ending an extraordinary life and career that stretched across more than six decades. From the mountains of Tennessee to stages around the world, Dolly became something far bigger than a country music star. She was a songwriter, performer, actress, businesswoman, philanthropist and cultural icon whose music somehow belonged to everyone.
There are successful songwriters, and then there was Dolly Parton. She wrote thousands of songs, including “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “I Will Always Love You,” sold more than 100 million records, and crossed musical boundaries without ever losing the voice or personality that made her unmistakably Dolly. But perhaps her greatest accomplishment was what happened away from the charts. Through the Imagination Library and decades of philanthropy, she used her success to improve the lives of millions of people, especially children. She proved that becoming enormously successful did not require forgetting where you came from.
At Masters Radio, we talk a lot about giving established artists the respect they have earned and recognizing that great artists do not suddenly stop mattering because another generation comes along. Dolly Parton never stopped mattering. She remained funny, relevant, generous, creative and completely herself until the end. Today, the music world is considerably quieter without her in it. But somewhere, someone is hearing a Dolly Parton song for the first time. That is how the Masters live forever.
Rest in peace, Dolly. And thank you for the songs.