Review Summary: Farewell to the greatest icon in the history of country music.
We lost the queen of country today.
It really wouldn't be an exaggeration to declare Dolly Parton
the most beloved icon in all of American popular culture. There is not one conscious human being on this hemisphere who could possibly have anything bad to say about her. The list of reasons for this is exhaustive beyond comprehension. A few seminal traits come to mind; her humble upbringing, her singular talent as an artist, her golden smile, her bouncy hair, her philanthropy, her intelligence and above all, her kindness. Her boundless, inimitable and unwavering kindness. She donated considerable money and time to children's hospitals, youth reading initiatives and various other charitable pursuits. She dipped her toes into a number of an array of creative and professional disciplines outside of music. She was an accomplished, Oscar-nominated actress and a prolific businesswoman. And while she'll be best remembered as a pillar of the country genre, she tried her hand at several other types of music, including pop and, very recently, rock.
Simply put, Dolly Parton wore a coat of many colors.
When we discuss country music, with particular respect to where it is at today, we often lament that the genre, at least in its mainstream arena, has lost most or all of its dignity, artfulness and diversity of thought and sound that it was known for prior to the 21st century. I myself have echoed many of these frustrations at times. What keeps the conversation going, at least for me, is the hope, perhaps in vain, that the genre is still worth going to bat for. While the loss of Dolly Parton may only reinforce the disconnect between the days of yesteryear and current times, it's important to remember that because she cast such a large, looming shadow, we can be reasonably assured that her legacy will inspire and inform future generations of artists as it already has for the past few decades.
Dolly Parton was
the icon and ambassador for country music. She represented the best of what the genre was, is, can be. She represented everything that is good about the genre in the same way she exemplified everything that is good in general. As a playwright and as a person, she embodied charisma, wit, grace, strength, humility, warmth, and a long list of other adjectives that just might be large enough to fit into that iconic, curly, shoulder-length hairdo she stunned with in the 80s. The world is so much better off that God gave us Dolly Parton. He
really thought about it when He made her. In this moment, we may mourn a life lost, but what we really should do is
celebrate a life lived fully every single day. It's as tough to quantify what a loss this is as it is to overstate her impact.
Today, I pray for Dolly's family, friends, and all the lives she touched who must be feeling heartboken right now. I pray for the eternal rest of her beautiful soul. And I bump "Islands in the Stream" with a smile on my face.
Dolly Parton was 80. Her memory and legend will live on forever. May we all follow her example to strive towards the best versions of ourselves and to extend goodwill and kindness to everyone we encounter.
"Leave something good in every day."
