RIP Dolly Parton 😢

[Dave Scepter]

Dolly Parton, country music icon, dies at 80 https://share.google/XWeYC3SwnKCrhTcMI

🙏 

[cmatthes]

Sad to hear that - I know she had been ill over the last few months, but she was always a bright, positive light who gave a lot back.  Never really was within my musical tastes, but seemed like one helluva good person and a total icon.

[Dave Scepter]

24 minutes ago, cmatthes said:

Sad to hear that - I know she had been ill over the last few months, but she was always a bright, positive light who gave a lot back.  Never really was within my musical tastes, but seemed like one helluva good person and a total icon.

I know she just lost her husband last year and just started declining after that... just goes to show you the strength of depression 😢

Edited August 25 by Dave Scepter

[DaveH]

TDC... RIP Dolly. She always had a wholesome air about her.

 

[Steve Haynie]

When wildfires were taking a toll on Eastern Tennessee, Dolly donated a million dollars or two to help people in that area.  When Hurricane Helene came along in 2024 she donated a million or two out of her own pocket to help people again. 

[scottcald]

Wow, this one really makes me sad.  Like her music or not, Dolly wrote a lot of great songs and when you heard a song of hers, you knew it was her.  And she did so much for others when she didn't have to.  I'm sure she did plenty that no one ever heard about.  

[Willie G. Moseley]

There were several interesting guitars in the museum at Dollywood when we visited sometime in the '90s, including an original all-chrome Veleno

[LucSulla]

There are not a lot of people left in the public eye that stir much southern pride in me these days, but she was damn sure one of them. Sad to see her go, but I hope I manage a 1/10th of the positive things she did for people. Pretty inspiring life for anyone who knew her beyond the boobs and hair, and even that image was brilliant. 

[hamerican gigolo]

Great artist & an amazing songwriter. 

R.I.P.  😞

[RobB]

She will require a specially-shaped casket. 

[django49]

[scottcald]

Leland Sklar tells a couple Dolly stories:

 

[Dave Scepter]

 

 

[Biz Prof]

She will rightfully be remembered for a lot of good things and deeds. Perhaps her most significant contribution in my eyes was the creation of her Imagination Library.

I grew up in a household full of books, and I learned to read at a very young age. My mother grew up incredibly poor and was instrumental in steering my sister and me toward formal education.  IIRC, Dolly's father was illiterate, and that wasn't necessarily unique in early twentieth century Appalachia.  She realized the opportunities that would be available to anyone who could effectively read and write. Truly a game changer for the poor and forgotten ones in society.

When my first child was born, I had already purchased several books to read to her while my wife was pregnant. And while I didn't need the charity of a free book, a local literacy advocacy group provided us (and all new parents at local hospitals) with a free copy of Goodnight Moon. I later discovered it was Dolly's Imagination Library that helps subsidize and facilitate this benevolent service.  

Now that's a legacy worth celebrating.

[Spinaltap]

RIP Dolly

[Saul Goodman]

Uncle Ted and Dolly.

 

[django49]

Gotta love how she never took herself too seriously.

 

[JGale]

[bry4321]

9 hours ago, Saul Goodman said:

Uncle Ted and Dolly.

 

That’s so cool

[bry4321]

11 hours ago, Biz Prof said:

She will rightfully be remembered for a lot of good things and deeds. Perhaps her most significant contribution in my eyes was the creation of her Imagination Library.

I grew up in a household full of books, and I learned to read at a very young age. My mother grew up incredibly poor and was instrumental in steering my sister and me toward formal education.  IIRC, Dolly's father was illiterate, and that wasn't necessarily unique in early twentieth century Appalachia.  She realized the opportunities that would be available to anyone who could effectively read and write. Truly a game changer for the poor and forgotten ones in society.

When my first child was born, I had already purchased several books to read to her while my wife was pregnant. And while I didn't need the charity of a free book, a local literacy advocacy group provided us (and all new parents at local hospitals) with a free copy of Goodnight Moon. I later discovered it was Dolly's Imagination Library that helps subsidize and facilitate this benevolent service.  

Now that's a legacy worth celebrating.

Yes it is. Thanks for sharing. 

[Kerry Marchman]

Another legend gone. She was one of a kind..

[hamerhead]

Not so much a fan of her music, but I loved her as a human being. Just incredible, and she WILL be missed by millions.

[Disturber]

On 8/25/2026 at 8:44 PM, Dave Scepter said:

I know she just lost her husband last year and just started declining after that... just goes to show you the strength of depression 😢

I read she died of cancer? That was discovered quite recently. 

Very sad that she is gone. It put on her bluegrass album yesterday on my way to work. This was the last track. Felt like a catharsis.

 

 

[Dave Scepter]

15 hours ago, Disturber said:

I read she died of cancer? That was discovered quite recently. 

Very sad that she is gone. It put on her bluegrass album yesterday on my way to work. This was the last track. Felt like a catharsis.

 

 

Yes, I meant that since her the husband's recent passing, she was probably too weak to fight the cancer.

Edited Thursday at 10:47 PM by Dave Scepter

[LucSulla]

On 8/26/2026 at 7:03 AM, Biz Prof said:

She will rightfully be remembered for a lot of good things and deeds. Perhaps her most significant contribution in my eyes was the creation of her Imagination Library.

I grew up in a household full of books, and I learned to read at a very young age. My mother grew up incredibly poor and was instrumental in steering my sister and me toward formal education.  IIRC, Dolly's father was illiterate, and that wasn't necessarily unique in early twentieth century Appalachia.  She realized the opportunities that would be available to anyone who could effectively read and write. Truly a game changer for the poor and forgotten ones in society.

When my first child was born, I had already purchased several books to read to her while my wife was pregnant. And while I didn't need the charity of a free book, a local literacy advocacy group provided us (and all new parents at local hospitals) with a free copy of Goodnight Moon. I later discovered it was Dolly's Imagination Library that helps subsidize and facilitate this benevolent service.  

Now that's a legacy worth celebrating.

I agree. 

I can't remember not knowing how to read, and I'm one of those people who can remember unusually far back. While I know I probably couldn't read going back to my very first memories because I don't see how I that's possible (my first memories are around 25-months old), I do clearly remember reading Golden Books to myself by the time I was three. My parents happily poured gas on that fire, and it is probably one of the most important things they did for me. 

Funnily enough, I really didn't know much about the Imagination Library other than that is was a thing Dolly did, but I'm going to start contributing to that monthly. My GF is a child psychologist, and she and I were talking the other day about how huge it is for kids to learn to read early and, hopefully, learn to enjoy it. She noted that just having books around and reading to your kids regularly does quite a bit of the heavy lifting because young children pick things up so quickly just through exposure. I also see how important it is when they get to me after high school. My students who enjoy reading are generally just better at critical thinking and learning independently. 

She really was an amazing person and kind of the platonic ideal of an American in a lot of ways.