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Dolly Parton, queen of country music whose songs spoke to millions dies at 80
Dolly Parton had been the country music icon to the legion of her followers. Her soaring vibrato vocals, poignant songwriting and sparkling costumes had defined her. The rise from her log cabin in the Tennessee mountains to the pinnacle of stardom and acclaim was an unbelievable journey of grit. .
Known for her curvy physique, massive blonde wigs and skin-tight outfits that served her self deprecating wit, she was among the most beloved personalities in music and beyond - the rare celebrity whose appeal transcended generations, geography and politics.
She wrote hundreds of songs. They included classics like 'Jolene' (1973), 'Coat of Many Colours' (1970 - written on the back of a dry cleaning receipt in 1969), 'I Will Always Love You' (1974) and 'Here You Come Again' (1979). Her songs sold more than 100 million worldwide. It generated more than 1 billion online streams. Dolly Parton, who plucked bejewelled banjos, guitar and dulcimers with her long fingernails during performances was a generous philanthropist. In addition she was a successful businesswoman. Among her projects, there was a theme park in the Smoky Mountain foothills near her birthplace.
Her career was forever influenced by her upbringing. She was one of the 12 children born into what she called a 'dirt poor' Tennessee family.
Her first musical performances were in a church. Her grandfather was a preacher there.
When she was ten years of age she was learning Guitar and singing on local TV shows.
After graduation from her school, she followed her uncle, Bill Owens, a song writer to Nashville, with a suitcase of songs.
Fred Foster, who produced Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson and more saw her potential and got her songs cut by other artists.
Her partnership with Porter Wagoner, a pencil thin pompadoured star with flashy rhinestone outfits, was key to her career. She honed her acting skills on his syndicated TV show. He advocated for her to get a record deal at RCA.
She got her first No.1 solo single with 'Jolene'. She reached the Top 5 with the ballad "Coat of Many Colours".It narrated how her mother sewed together scraps of clothes to make a coat she wore 'so proudly.' Her peers mocked her all along for being poor.
The song, with its biblical references and ode to maternal love, was made into a children's book and TV movie.
In 1973, she had the hit, 'Jolene.' The song skyrocketed her to fame. It was the familiar country music, standard with its steady churning. As she sang,'Jolene,' with the repeated delivery of the title where she pleaded to the woman not to steal her man, the song took wings taking her to the top of the country charts. It was later released on the international platform. It opened up new audiences for her.
Dolly Parton was considered a feminist role model for holding the reins of her own career, writing her own songs, owning her her content and looking after her finances in an entertainment world dominated by men.
She married Carl Dean, an asphalt paving contractor, in the mid 1960s. They were together until he died in 2025 at the age of 82.
In her first major film role, she played alongside Fonda and Tomlin as office workers who were rebelling against their tyrannical boss in '9 to 5'.
Critic Roger Ebert called her a "natural born movie star'. The title song '9 to 5' earned her two grammy awards.
With 55 Grammy nominations and 11 wins, Dolly Parton is the third most nominated woman in Grammy history, only behind Beyonce and Taylor Swift
The Malayala Manorama on 28 August 2026 reveals, she was under treatment for cancer.
At 80, she has succumbed to the ailment that plagued her.
When we had been young, her songs had memerised us. We had no TV. It was the Radio. .
Sad she is gone.
Grateful to Dolly Parton for making our lives livelier as we struggled to make a living.
She gave us hope.
