American singer, songwriter, and actress Dolly Parton passed away at the age of 80 on August 25, 2026, ending one of the most unique acts in the entertainment business that our country has ever seen. She was laid to rest at the Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville with a private funeral held on August 28th and was buried next to her husband of over 60 years, Carl Dean who died in March this year. Born in Pittman Center Tennessee on January 19, 1946, Dolly was the fourth child in a family which would eventually include twelve children, a fact that had a significant impact on her life as they collectively struggled out of relative poverty.
There has been quite a reaction across America to her passing, and rightly so. Nashville International Airport is moving towards changing its name to Dolly Parton International Airport following widespread public support. Some states including California and at least one Texas county want to make September 25th “Dolly Parton Day” due to her song “9 to 5” (a numerical play on 9/25). And these are just a couple of examples to honor her life’s work which included a great deal of behind-the-scenes philanthropy. Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean made up for any financial challenges impacting her early life without forgetting where she came from. She was quite generous with both her time and money, involving herself in several socially uplifting community projects.
Parton ended up not only a well-known entertainer inspiring the setup of a theme park named Dollywood but a savvy businesswoman as well. She shared the rights to her song “I Will Always Love You” (with retained royalties) and it was sung by other famous crooners. But it reached its highest listening audience worldwide when performed by the late Whitney Houston for the film “The Bodyguard” released in 1992 and reportedly made more money for Dolly than any of her other songs. And she was able to use some of these earnings towards her many charitable pursuits.
When I arrived in this country over 50 years ago Parton’s “Jolene” (released in 1973) was being played frequently on the radio. In a way I discovered a piece of America and female country music through Dolly and Loretta Lynn (the Coal Miners’s Daughter). But we all came to know Dolly Parton through more than her songs. That credit goes to many late-night television shows. For me more specifically The Tonight Show Starring Johhny Carson was my first exposure to the Parton charm. We discovered pieces of her wit and wisdom through this late show. Dolly came across as a woman who was willing not only to share her singing talents but details of her personal life and physical attributes as well in the most peculiar and funny way possible.
Her capture of the widest American audience in my humble opinion came from her 1980 movie song 9 to 5 and that legacy still lives on. To answer why is quite simple. Every working person (minus maybe some swing and graveyard shift workers) could relate to it as it directly reflected their working lives and still does. Okay, some on the job remotely from home these days may be an exception! This song, a true crossover, did not need a pop, country, or contemporary label. It hit the charts like a meteor (reached number one in early 1981) and ruled the airwaves for months if not years.
Amongst her most romantic songs, Islands in the Stream, a 1983 duet with Kenny Rogers still lives on in the hearts and minds of millions of fans. But if one does not know, this song was not written by Parton, but by Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees. What one can safely add here though is that it seems like Kenny and Dolly somehow own Islands in the Stream through their wonderful addition of vocals, making it unforgettable.
To conclude, one hopes that the idea of Dolly Parton Day (9/25) catches on across America as a tribute to her memory and her contributions to American life. Like other superstars she had to struggle and persist in making it to the top of the music charts while coming from a background best reflected in the lyrics she wrote of the song Coat of Many Colors. Dolly Parton in a way also reminded me of Pakistan’s own Melody Queen Noor Jehan whose 100th birth anniversary was on September 21st. May they both rest in peace.