R.I.P. Dolly Parton

[Timmah!]

She's gone home to be with her husband.

[BlackRose]

wow had not heard anything

[RobMc]

I can't stand Country and Western, but there are a few artists I admire, and Dolly was one of them R.I.P. to someone who appeared to be a decent down to earth girl, rest easy girl.

[TBB]

RIP - another good one gone  

[tsw 8.5]

yes it's a sad day 

[ShadyBrady]

Nooo... RIP to an absolute legend. 

 

[J3st3r]

And Tim Curry on the same day. Man getting older sucks balls.  

[Painsponge]

Never had a bad thing to say about anybody. Truely one of the sweetest people on earth. RIP Dolly, you will be missed.

 

 

Edited 7 hours ago by Painsponge

[Majbasil]

Dolly Parton deeply transformed Tennessee through massive economic development, generational educational programs, disaster relief, and healthcare philanthropy.

Economic Impact and Tourism

• Dollywood: Opened in Pigeon Forge in 1986, the theme park has created over 23,000 jobs and turned East Tennessee into a premier global tourism destination. [1, 2]

• Local Attractions: Expanded the local economy with additional family entertainment, including Dollywood’s Splash Country, Dolly Parton’s Stampede, and dinner shows. [1]

Education and Literacy

• Imagination Library: Started in Sevier County in 1995 to mail free monthly books to children from birth to age five, which later expanded globally and gifted hundreds of millions of books. [1, 2]

• The Buddy Program: Launched by the Dollywood Foundation in 1991 to offer financial incentives to high school students with local "buddies," which famously dropped the Sevier County high school dropout rate from 35% down to 6%. [1, 2]

Disaster Relief and Healthcare

• Wildfire Recovery: Spearheaded the 2016 "Smoky Mountains Rise" telethon and My People Fund, providing direct financial assistance of $1,000 a month to hundreds of families displaced by devastating Gatlinburg wildfires. [1, 2]

• Medical Research: Donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2020 to help fund early research that contributed to the COVID-19 vaccine. [1, 2]

• Children's Hospital Partnership: Partnered extensively with regional pediatric care, culminating in the naming of the Dolly Parton's Children Hospital (formerly East Tennessee Children's Hospital) to expand local youth healthcare services. [1, 2]