By Vaughn Thompson, Staff Writer

Dolly Parton (born Jan. 19, 1946) was not only a country icon, but also a woman beloved by all for her endless kindness and generosity. She died at age 80 on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026 after a ‘brief battle with cancer,’’, according to her representatives, and will be missed.

Dolly was born in Locust Ridge, a rural town in Tennessee, and wrote her first song at age six. She became a professional songwriter at age 16 and released her debut album, “Hello, I’m Dolly”, when she was 21. After almost a 60-year career with more than 100 million records sold, 25 number one Billboard country singles (tied with Reba McEntire at the most for a woman) and over 3,000 songs written and recorded, she has been dubbed the “Queen of Country.”

Not only was Dolly a phenomenal musician, she also wrote several books (including children’s books, autobiographies and cookbooks) and appeared in, produced and hosted many TV works (Hannah Montana, Saturday Night Live and Christmas on the Square just to name a few).

A Timeline of Dolly’s Deeds

1988 – When she was 40 years old, Dolly Parton launched the Dollywood Foundation, an organization focused on reducing dropout rates in school-aged children. As the years have gone by, the Foundation has branched out from simply focusing on dropout rates and now also provides community aid when needed. For example, the My People Fund raised $12 million for families affected by Tennessee wildfires.

1991 – Through the Dollywood Foundation, Dolly promised $500 to every 7th and 8th grade student in her home county of Sevier County, Tennessee, if they graduated from high school. This effort was called the Buddy Program and it reduced the dropout rate for these two classes from 35% down to just 6%. Each child picked a buddy to hold accountable, and if one didn’t graduate, the other didn’t get paid either.

1991 – Also in 1991, Dolly Parton opened a sanctuary inside of the Dollywood theme park (which opened in 1986) to shelter non-releasable bald eagles. In 2003, her partnership with the American Eagle Foundation earned Dolly the Partnership Award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

1995 – In honor of her illiterate father, Dolly opened the Imagination Library, an organization that provides free books to children in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and the Republic of Ireland. Every child registered in the program is sent one book a month from birth to age 5. 3,197,250 total kids have been registered and 332,411,218 books have been gifted.

2000 – Dolly Parton created a yearly scholarship program through the Dollywood Foundation that offers $15,000 to 5 high school seniors in Sevier County, Tennessee, who are able to successfully communicate their plans to pursue their dreams.

2016 – In 2016, Dolly launched the My People fund and raised millions of dollars to contribute to relief efforts for those experiencing struggles caused by the Tennessee wildfires. She also awarded a $30,000 scholarship to Evey Johns, a two-year-old girl from Arkansas, to celebrate the success of the Imagination Library reaching a million children a month.

2017 and 2020 – Dolly donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University, first to the medical center in honor of her niece who was treated for cancer and then again in 2020 to help fund research for a Covid-19 vaccine.

2022 – Dollywood continued to cover education and made another $1 million donation to Vanderbilt to help fund infectious disease research. Additionally, she received the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy for all of her philanthropic efforts.

2023 – In 2023, Dolly donated $1 million to the Salvation Army.

2024 – Dolly Parton and the Dollywood Foundation gave a combined total of $2 million to support Hurricane Helene relief efforts.

“I’m kind of addicted to the feeling of giving. Knowing that I’m doing something good for someone else,” Dolly said in a 2021 interview. Additionally, after receiving her Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, she said, “I just give from my heart. I never know what I’m going to do or why I’m gonna do it. I just see a need and if I can fill it, I will.”

The generous and selfless way Dolly Parton approached life should be an example to all. She never reveled in her fame, instead using it to lift others up and make the world a better place in every way she could.

Donations are always appreciated at the Imagination Library as well, for anyone in the mood to do a little good themselves. You don’t have to be the “Queen of Country” (or the queen of anything!) to make a lasting impact on the world; there are endless ways to get involved with or provide support to organizations that make a difference.

Even though she isn’t around to witness it anymore, Dolly Parton’s efforts are still resounding throughout the world and hers is a name that will never be forgotten.