Dolly Parton, a singer and songwriter who became one of the most recognizable figures in American music, died Aug. 25, at age 80. Parton died after a brief battle with cancer, her publicist said. Over her six-decade career, Parton became far more than a country singer. She was an actor, entrepreneur and philanthropist whose influence reached from Hollywood and East Tennessee to millions of children learning to read.
Born January 19, 1946, Parton grew up as one of 12 children in rural East Tennessee, where her family lived in severe poverty. Music became part of her life early on. She performed in church, sang on local television and appeared at the Grand Ole Opry when she was only 13. After graduating high school in 1964, she moved to Nashville to pursue music. Though her childhood never completely left her work, and memories of poverty, family and Appalachia became the basis for some of her most recognizable songs.
Parton gained national attention after joining “The Porter Wagoner Show” in 1967, but she soon established an identity outside of Wagoner. Songs including “Joshua,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” showed both her ability as a performer and, importantly, as a songwriter. “I Will Always Love You” was written as a farewell to Wagoner as Parton prepared to leave his show and build an independent career.
She decided to maintain control of her publishing rights. That choice proved especially significant when Whitney Houston recorded “I Will Always Love You” decades later. Houston’s version became an international hit, showing that Parton’s songwriting could extend far beyond her own voice or country genre.
Parton entered pop music and Hollywood, starring in the 1980 film “9 to 5″ and writing its famous titular song. Her enormous wigs, rhinestones and exaggerated country image became almost as recognizable as her music. She carried her distinct look and powerful independence into business through Dollywood, which became a major tourist destination and employer in the East Tennessee community where she grew up.
Parton created the Dollywood Foundation in 1988 and established the Imagination Library in 1995, inspired partly by her father’s difficulty reading. The program mails free books to young children internationally, distributing more than 300 million books over Parton’s lifetime. Her philanthropy also included disaster relief, scholarships, hospitals and medical research. Research on the Imagination Library has associated participation with stronger reading habits and development of early literacy skills. Parton turned her fame and wealth into something that could have an impact long after her career ended.
Parton’s death did not end the work she created. She changed country music, brought Appalachian stories to a much larger audience, and showed how a woman in entertainment could control her music, image and business. Her legacy is clearest in something much quieter than a stage: books continuing to arrive at children’s homes with her name printed on them.