Dolly Parton's Charm Has Helped Her Become A Globally Treasured Star

Dec 09, 2020

In November, it was reported that Dolly Parton’s $1 million donation to coronavirus research was partly used to fund a potential vaccine for it. Here we explore how else Parton has contributed to making the world a better place and in the process of it become one of the world's best-loved celebrities.

“If ever somebody figured out the American dream and made it work, it’s Dolly Parton.” Those were words of a Rolling Stone journalist in the December 1980 issue of the magazine. Fast forward thirty years later, the truth ringing from those words are at its loudest.

In November, Parton discovered that the $1 million donation she made to Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Covid-19 research efforts in April has been partly used to fund Moderna’s vaccine for the disease. "I just felt so proud to have been part of that little seed money that will hopefully grow into something great and help to heal this world," she said to the BBC One’s The One Show. "I'm a very proud girl today to know I had anything at all to do with something that's going to help us through this crazy pandemic." CNN reports that the vaccine is 94.5% effective.

The Jolene singer will turn 75 next month but remains active and working. Growing up as one of 12 children in a poor Tennessee family, her journey to stardom is one that draws an outpouring of love and admiration. In many of her interviews that explored the keys to her success, there is one theme that recurs: her faith.

Parton has always been outspoken when it comes to her spirituality and credits all her achievements to her Christian beliefs. Here are some of her most memorable quotes from over the years which show just that.

According to Country Daily, Parton was led to sing in the church her grandfather ministered at because she was first inspired by her mom who sang to her and her siblings when they were little. She spent a lot of her days as a young girl in church and grew to make Jesus the centre of her life. She said:

“I keep all that stuff very close to my heart. I grew up knowing that Jesus loves me. And I knew that through God all things were possible.”

In an interview with Larry King in 2009, Parton told King that she has written “at least 3,000 songs. But she says that she does not write them alone:

“Any time I wrote something that is just a line that I know didn’t come from me, I just sort of say, ‘Hey, give me a high five, Lord. Give me a thumb’s up.”

And her inspiration for these lyrics? Parton says it’s from her feelings and also other people’s.

“I can write for other people and how they feel, because I do feel for people. I really, truly love people. I try to find the good in everybody. I try to find the God light in everybody. I’m so happy that I’m touched and moved by so much that goes on in this world that I can actually write about it. It gives me great subject matter as a songwriter. Everything is a song to me. Everybody is a song to me,” she said in an interview with RuPaul’s Drag Race star, RuPaul Charles, in October 2020.

The country icon has many fans, the LGBTQ+ community included, and has proven herself as an ally. According to Advocate, she supported marriage equality in the U.S. as early as 2009 and showed her gratitude to her queer fans during a 2014 interview with Billboard.

When asked by King what she thought was her appeal to the gay community, she said:

“Well, I think the gay people have always liked me because I have always been myself. I'm not intimidated by how people perceive me. I don't judge nor criticize people. I think that's another reason that they at least know that I'm sympathetic. I think all people have a right to be who they are. We're all God's children and God should be the one to judge, not other people.”

In the same interview with RuPaul, Parton reveals that she begins her days at 3 a.m. and that besides doing some work and writing, her routine involves meditation and prayer.

“I’m a very spiritual person. Every single day, before I do anything, I wake up and I thank God for the night and ask him to bless the day and to bring all the right things...all the wrong people out of my life, and bring all the right stuff in. And just to guide me, lead me. And I always pray that he’ll let me uplift mankind and glorify Him.”

What is your favorite thing about Dolly Parton? If this story inspired you, be sure to pass it along to your loved ones!