Dolly Parton has died

[MikeBiDude]

Quite a career.

https://people.com/dolly-parton-dead-7565853

 

[+ cougar]

I saw this on the news a couple of hours ago, she was 80.

[marylander1940]

[viewing ownly]

Is this unheard of for flags to be at half-mast for an entertainer? Not too many people anywhere would question her likeability, but this I find to be as stunning as learning of her passing. I think she appeared at a new truck stop opening not all that long ago.

[BuffaloKyle]

41 minutes ago, viewing ownly said:

Is this unheard of for flags to be at half-mast for an entertainer? Not too many people anywhere would question her likeability, but this I find to be as stunning as learning of her passing. I think she appeared at a new truck stop opening not all that long ago.

Dolly Parton Made Final Appearance in Rare Outing 2 Months Before Death: Photos

[TonyDown]

CNN ran coverage all day.  Was very nice.  ❤️
R.I.P.  🌷🌹🌺

[prof]

The extent of her philanthropy was vast, with millions going to causes the helped many. She contributed toward development of the Moderna vaccine. Literacy was another strong interest. I saw an article saying she arranged to send every child in her county a book a month until they turned 5. Would that other wealthy people had her level of generosity.

[Becket]

She was a friend to many communities, including this "broader" one. I loved her. So sorry she's gone.

[mike carey]

This Blue Sky post captures some of the sort of person she was. Requiescat in pace.

Tap on the post to open it with replies.

[+ purplekow]

Reports of her estate run to estimates well above 500 million dollars.  From Rags to Rhinestones was quite a difficult trip.  She seems to have made it with a compassion, tolerance and economic intelligence.  I have heard her name mentioned hundreds of times and not once was it associated with a negative thought.  Quite an accomplishment.  

Edited 12 hours ago by purplekow

[+ jeezopete]

6 hours ago, prof said:

I saw an article saying she arranged to send every child in her county a book a month until they turned 5.

Her Imagination Library program expanded with partnerships added over the years.

 

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library gives away roughly 36 million to 40 million books each year, mailing more than 3 million free books every month. 

Program Details

• Monthly rate: Over 3 million to 3.3 million books per month globally.

• Total impact: The program has gifted over 330 million free books total since it started in 1995.

• Reach: It operates in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland, serving children from birth until age five. 

[+ jeezopete]

“Hi everybody. This is Dolly.

“Before he passed away, my Daddy told me the Imagination Library was probably the most important thing I had ever done. I can’t tell you how much that meant to me because I created the Imagination Library as a tribute to my Daddy. He was the smartest man I have ever known but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams.

“Inspiring kids to love to read became my mission. In the beginning, my hope was simply to inspire the children in my home county but here we are today with a worldwide program that gives a book a month to well over 3 million children.

“Of course, I have not done this alone. The real heroes of our story are the thousands of local organizations who have embraced my dream and made it their own. They raise millions of dollars each year and wake up every day with a passion to make sure their kids have every opportunity to succeed.

“It’s been quite a journey but we have so much more left to do. I would love for your community to join our family so please take the time to explore our website. Let’s share this dream that all children should grow up in a home full of books.

“The first step is always the hardest, but you’ll never know unless you try…”

[nomad]

Truly an amazingly generous person with a heart bigger than her humongous chest and hair.  The world needs more people like her not less.  She did so much and stayed humble to the very end.  A rare 😇 indeed.  

[BSR]

I saw Dolly Parton 50 (50!) years ago at the American Royale Rodeo in Kansas City where she was the headliner act between barrel racing, bronco busting, etc.  My parents and brother thought she was pleasant but forgettable whereas I instantly fell in love and became a life-long fan.  Country music and America lost one of its greatest today.  Dolly, we love you.  R.I.P.

[+ sync]

Her acts of kindness were/are everywhere.  Many years ago I attended a county fair that featured Louise Mandrell.

Before beginning her performance Louise Mandrell apologized for being late due to their bus breaking down and how she was on the verge of calling to cancel her performance when Dolly Parton sent one of her buses to the rescue.

[Nue2thegame]

Loved her persona but I was never a big fan of her music and haven’t seen any of her movies. As a humanitarian and philanthropist, she was at the front of the line. She was an extraordinary person as the many, varied tributes attest. 

[+ purplekow]

13 hours ago, jeezopete said:

Her Imagination Library program expanded with partnerships added over the years.

 

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library gives away roughly 36 million to 40 million books each year, mailing more than 3 million free books every month. 

 

Program Details

• Monthly rate: Over 3 million to 3.3 million books per month globally.

• Total impact: The program has gifted over 330 million free books total since it started in 1995.

• Reach: It operates in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland, serving children from birth until age five. 

Federal assistance for this was just cut a few months ago.   The organization stated that they would proceed but without that assistance some areas would not be as well served.  They mentioned Indiana and Missouri in particular.  

[moreofthat]

I had the great privilege of seeing Dolly perform at Red Rocks about a decade ago. Three hours straight with only breaks for wardrobe changes, and she was all over that stage. She was a rare source of pure goodness in the entertainment industry. 

[dutchal]

https://www.advocate.com/news/people/dolly-parton-lgbtq-icon#rebelltitem19

 

[marylander1940]

Perfect way to honor her! 

[marylander1940]

On 8/25/2026 at 6:26 PM, prof said:

The extent of her philanthropy was vast, with millions going to causes the helped many. She contributed toward development of the Moderna vaccine. Literacy was another strong interest. I saw an article saying she arranged to send every child in her county a book a month until they turned 5. Would that other wealthy people had her level of generosity.

We need that example nowadays more than ever before!

 

[BuffaloKyle]

8 hours ago, purplekow said:

Federal assistance for this was just cut a few months ago.   The organization stated that they would proceed but without that assistance some areas would not be as well served.  They mentioned Indiana and Missouri in particular.  

I did see normally the library gets $6 million a year which was cut to $2 million this year but Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce in July had donated $2 million:

Travis Kelce & Taylor Swift’s $2 Million Gift Sparked One of Dolly Parton’s Final Videos

Her website, which was down at one point yesterday from so much traffic, is taking donations in her memory for the library. I'm sure we'll be hearing in the near future how much money they have gotten donated.

[TonyDown]

 

 

[+ PhileasFogg]

I grew up in Alabama conditioned to think her style and entertainment was ridiculous!   But when she made her comeback in the 80’s, her versatility and talent made her a superstar!

I never saw or heard her with getting a smile on my face.

In the Nashville Scene, there were a couple standouts that exuded class when ever they entered a room.  The first was Sarah Cannon (Minnie Pearl) and the other was Dolly.   They simply left happy kindness wherever they went. 

[+ PhileasFogg]

On 8/25/2026 at 9:17 PM, purplekow said:

Reports of her estate run to estimates well above 500 million dollars.  From Rags to Rhinestones was quite a difficult trip.  She seems to have made it with a compassion, tolerance and economic intelligence.  I have heard her name mentioned hundreds of times and not once was it associated with a negative thought.  Quite an accomplishment.  

Why she never became a billionaire…she gave it away

https://observer.com/2026/08/philanthropy-why-dolly-parton-never-became-billionaire/