Remembering Dolly Parton: Kindness Was Her Superpower

Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80, leaving behind an extraordinary catalogue of music—and a legacy of kindness, generosity and humanity.In this personal tribute, I reflect on Dolly’s connection with my late mum, who introduced me to country music, and how I gradually discovered that country and heavy metal were often singing about the same people, struggles and hopes.Dolly gave us timeless songs including “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You.” Yet her legacy reaches far beyond music.Inspired by her father, who was unable to read or write, Dolly created the Imagination Library. It has now provided more than 300 million free books to children around the world. She also funded scholarships, supported families who lost their homes in the 2016 Tennessee wildfires and donated millions of dollars to medical research.I also look at how Dolly built bridges between musical worlds—from singing “Jolene” with Judas Priest’s Rob Halford at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to making Rockstar with artists including Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Elton John, Stevie Nicks, Joan Jett and Peter Frampton.Dolly Parton showed us that music can cross genres, generations, backgrounds and beliefs. She also demonstrated that kindness is not a weakness. Kindness is a superpower.This video is dedicated to Dolly’s family, friends and fans—and to everyone whose life was made a little better by her music or generosity.Please share your memories of Dolly Parton and the songs that have meant the most to you in the comments.Rest in peace, Dolly, and thank you for everything.Phil AstonNow Spinning MagazineMusic is the healer and the doctor.