Dolly Parton

At one time on the radio, there were “cross-over songs,” where a tune designed for one audience would also find another audience. Some country songs would be heard on rock or MOR stations.

So it was that you could hear Dolly Parton all over the radio dial.

She started her career in music very early, as you can see by the ad to the below right from July 8, 1957 in the Kingsport, Tennessee, Times.

Dolly was a local phenomenon at first. The Knoxville Journal of Aug. 25, 1962 pointed out she was on the way up.

Sevier Radio Singer Has New Record
Dolly Parton, 16, Sevier County High School student, who has a five-year contract with a recording firm, has a new record out which reported is selling well. The recording, "Sure Gonna Hurt" and "The Love You Gave," is the singer's first try in the popular music field.
Miss Parton has appeared on radio and television talent shows since she was 10, singing country, western and religious songs. She and her uncle, Billy Earl Owens, guitar player and singer, have a song writers contract with a Nashville company.
She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lee Parton, of the Catons Chapel Community in Sevier County.

I don’t suspect a lot of 21-year-olds have a day named in their honour. Dolly did. The Knoxville News-Sentinel of Oct. 1, 1967 talked about it.

Sevier To Have Dolly Parton Day
SEVIERVILLE, Sept. 30 (Special)—Dolly Parton Day will be observed in Sevier County next Saturday. County Judge Ray L. Reagan proclaimed it in honor of the country music singer and writer.
She will be welcomed into town in an escorted motorcade at 10:30 a.m. With her will be Porter Wagoner and his Wagonmasters. Dolly recently became a member of the Wagoner show for television and personal appearances.
Mayor Bob Howard will present a key to the city and flowers. Dolly, Wagoner and the motorcade will then go to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg for appearances. The climax of activities will be a music show on the court house lawn in Sevierville at 2 p.m. All will be sponsored by Radio Station WSEV, where Dolly and her uncle and personal manager, Bill Owens, cut their first record and provided their own accompaniment.
Dolly was born in a farm home on Pittman Center Road, one of 12 children in the family of Robert and Avie Lee. Dolly often played and sang in school programs. She graduated from Sevier County High School in 1964. Her first success was as a songwriter.
She was married in May to Carl Dean, a contractor.

This post doesn’t really have anything to do with her music. I’m not big on country tunes, new or old school. But I notice that in Nashville in 1965, she appeared with some big names: Boots Randolph, Ray Stevens, Chet Atkins and Floyd Kramer in a special Toys For Tots concert sponsored by the Marine Corps Reserve.

It strikes me that Dolly has always been doing something for someone else, especially children. As a newspaper article written at the time of Dolly Parton Day put it: “I found her to be...very ‘down to earth’.”

Being helpful, kind and sincere is something that transcends music. They’re qualities we need in this world. I imagine that’s why many are mourning the death of Dolly Parton at age 80.