Dolly Parton is amazing

Submitted by HistoryFreak30 t3_124md85 in Music

I first heard Dolly Parton when I watched the Hannah Montana episode. I barely knew about her until I heard some of her songs.

What caught my attention was her donating to a lot of charities + being so humble and down to earth. I read her whole biography on wikipedia and she literally started from scratch. She worked hard for her career yet she remained humble and kind towards everyone.

I also watched her interview back in 1977 with Barbara Walters and what struck me was when she said "They weren't very educated but they were very intelligent" I love this line. The way she handled herself on the interview as well was graceful and respectful despite the questions were out of the line.

They are going to make a movie about her life and the script titled "Dumb Blonde" will be about her music career. I hope they choose the right actress for her.

I have huge respect to Dolly and we must protect her at all costs.

162

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

FunkIPA t1_jdzxe8d wrote

She wrote “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” in the same day.

33

y2knole t1_jdzyx77 wrote

amazing. the only similar short period of songwriting that i can think of is Robert Hunter writing Ripple, Brokedown Palace and To Lay Me Down in a single day...

10

rachface636 t1_je03j32 wrote

I think Mariah Carey wrote All I Want For Christmas Is You in like an hour, granted lyrically it's not exactly complicated.

3

Tymaret16 t1_je0hiin wrote

Not lyrically complicated, but it's an incredibly catchy (and not all that simple) tune. That's still very impressive creative work.

3

Trump_in_a_noose t1_je03a90 wrote

I love Dolly for who she is, what she is and what she does but I hate to bust your bubble.

6

copyboy1 t1_je0txh2 wrote

There's actually a theory about "iterative genius" and "instant genius."

The latter is like Bob Dylan. Who would write a song in a few hours and never revise it.

The former is like Leonard Cohen, who spent years and years revising "Hallelujah" (and still really never got it right until Jeff Buckley's version).

2

WiryCatchphrase t1_je1xytp wrote

The word genius is relate to a term for a spirit of inspiration. So you aren't a genius you're inspired by genius. There may or not be etymological connection with genie

2

AdmiralBarackAdama t1_jdztz7u wrote

She's a good musician but an even better human. I love her.

30

WiryCatchphrase t1_je1xrp3 wrote

Which saying something because she's a pretty great musician. When she wrote Jolene the guitarists on the show she was one coulding get the fingering right and she had to show them. Understand studio bands like that have very talented musicians so coming up with something to flummox one can be quite a challenge.

But yes her charity and honestly her business acumen are pretty great.

6

buddychrist12 t1_jdzwoht wrote

Imagine if half of the powerful people in this world were even half as generous and kind as this woman.

18

sherbodude t1_je052iu wrote

I love her songs with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt

9

Salty_Pancakes t1_je1i06w wrote

Those 3 were the like the triumvirate of female country artists for the 60s/70s/80s. And onwards.

Like even today you can catch Emmylou Harris perform for free if you go to the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco. She has played at every single one since it started as the Strictly Bluegrass Festival in 2001.

2

porscheblack t1_je3080d wrote

I got to see her in a concert with Steve Earle and Robert Plant. I forget who the musician was that cancelled, so that got Robert Plant to fill in and he mostly did Townes Van Zant songs. It was such an amazing night.

2

Jack_Q_Frost_Jr t1_jdzztmn wrote

She put her money where her mouth was. I've never been to Dollywood, but I have close friends who have worked there. They tell me it's hard to exaggerate how poor that area of the country is. Dolly performed a minor miracle building that theme park and bringing economic activity to that area.

7

WiryCatchphrase t1_je1y39o wrote

I thought she bought th struggling theme park rebranded it and expanded it into what it is.

1

chootoi t1_je3hs0o wrote

Yeah I don't know what that's about. You're right. Silver Dollar City is what it was originally called. And Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg were booming then.

1

Category3Water t1_je0gfo4 wrote

If it had been a better area, they couldn’t have afforded the land or had the ability to make it the way they wanted. So it’s admirable, but necessary. And of course, the locals get some nice service jobs, but Dolly is making the real money.

−4

RyPO76 t1_je0c0e3 wrote

Dolly Parton entered a Dolly Parton look a like contest and placed second. First place was a man. Dolly is the definition of class

7

NormanRB t1_je0ktyg wrote

Dolly is one of the most genuine people you'd ever meet. She's very giving to her fans as far as spending time signing and taking pictures. One amazing thing of late that I loved her for was when she was being inducted into the Rock n Roll HoF, she at first declined because she's a Country musician and it didn't feel right to her. She later recanted because of how so many people wanted her to take it and she'd felt she had let them down if she did. So during her time at the ceremony she had written a new song with a rock theme and performed it as her way to feel validated for being in the HoF.

5

dirtyblueshirt t1_jdzvy6x wrote

The world doesn’t deserve a person as amazing as Dolly Parton.

4

ztmwvo t1_je16drn wrote

If you want to dig deeper and be really impressed, seek out the five or six part podcast about Dolly Parton from the makers of Radiolab. It dropped about two years ago.

2

You11NeverKn0w t1_je1fzl3 wrote

I like all kinds of music, notably punk-rock and rap….but Islands In the Stream remains in my top 10 favorite songs just cuz of how catchy and lovely it is. Great song to play if you’re in love

2

eti_erik t1_je382hp wrote

That may be mainly the Bee Gee's virtue though... but Dolly's vocals on it are great.

2

You11NeverKn0w t1_je38hzh wrote

And Kenny’s! As cheesy as he is in the internet realm, he could sing and they compliment each other well on that tune

1

artwarrior t1_je2fwav wrote

She has a sailor's mouth backstage hanging with her band when she tours. She's hilarious ! A stagehand I jammed with told me some tales when he was on tour with her in the 90's.

2

Joe-Dang t1_je3lb1e wrote

She sends my kids books! For free! What an amazing human.

2

copyboy1 t1_je0te53 wrote

She's the greatest living American.

1

JustSimplyHere t1_je1dcsb wrote

I used to be in her book club from ages of 1-5 years old when I started to read, I love her for that. Jolene is also an amazing song, I don't really listen to her, but my mom does, so I hear songs from her like that, and they're actually pretty good :)

1

Mr-Korv t1_je1h8gc wrote

Of course she's down to earth, she's being weighed down!

1

Mitthrawnuruo t1_je1ypeh wrote

It other News. Water is wet. The Earth is Flat. Dave Chapel make’s his living being honest.

:-)

1

Sayster_A t1_je2hypr wrote

She's a lovely person by any sane human's account.

1

rashan688 t1_je3o6uj wrote

DONT forget her program giving free books to children.

I was one of those kids!

1

Sincityjbird t1_jegdpse wrote

We don’t have to worry about that

1

salexy t1_je04is3 wrote

>They are going to make a movie about her life and the script titled "Dumb Blonde" will be about her music career. I hope they choose the right actress for her.

Oscar Nominee Ana de Armas!

0

Category3Water t1_je0izd1 wrote

The vast majority of Dolly’s music is disposable, mainstream Nashville country music that was shitted on by most of the country when she was releasing it. And all of these Dolly praise posts devote the majority of space to her career outside of music because most people can’t stand Dolly’s actual music outside of a few songs that got famous because better singers covered them. She’s obviously a hard worker and a brilliant capitalist, but her musical legacy is 90% mediocre, forgettable music in a genre that many in the country outright despise. Every other post about mainstream country music is about how it sucks. Most folks under 30 know Dolly more for being a wealthy saint than for her music. And if they knew her by her music first like a lot of us who grew up with the country music that the rest of the country was making fun of, then there would always be a caveat to Parton praise. There isnt because folks like what Dolly represents, not her music.

−10