Dolly Parton: Lower The Flags, Give Her A State Funeral
Dolly Parton is gone.
Even though we all knew she was having health problems the news yesterday was a shock. She was timeless and tireless. Someone wrote that it was like the Queen of Appalachia had died.
But Dolly was so much more than that. She was universally beloved.
“We should all leave work at 5 in her honor,” a fan wrote.
At 9:25 p.m. (nine-two-five) last night the Empire State Building burst into pink sparkles to honor Dolly Parton.
Here’s what sideline sports reporter Holly Rowe said happened on her Delta flight yesterday when the stunning news of Dolly Parton’s death was shared.
What can you say about this country music legend, this national treasure, this songwriter, singer, and philanthropist that doesn’t sound like a cliché?
The ebullient, ultra-talented rhinestone cowgirl grew up with her 11 siblings in a cabin without electricity or running water in East Tennessee. In time, she became the Queen of Country Music, one of the most recognized women in the world. She wrote 3,000 songs and gave away hundreds of millions of dollars.
What made her special - beyond her incredible talent - was Dolly’s warmth, beauty, irrepressible sense of humor and boundless generosity.
News of her death brought tributes from those on the right and the left. The Democratic Socialists paid tribute and so did President Donald Trump. That will not happen again.
Dolly managed to live in the spotlight for more than 50 years without dabbling in politics or making enemies.
Trump ordered flags flown at half-staff for a week in her honor.
That’s the least we can do. Shoot, give her a state funeral. Put her on Mt. Rushmore. There will never be another American more beloved than Dolly Parton.
She was America’s girl.
It’s estimated that by the time she died, Dolly had given away between $550 and $600 million. Because she donated quietly, without fanfare, the exact total is unknown. It’s believed that her philanthropy prevented her from ever reaching billionaire status.
In 1995, in honor of her beloved father who could not read, Dolly started her most famous charity, Imagination Library, which gives free books to children - regardless of family income - from birth through age five. To date, 270 million books have been placed in the hands of young readers.
It’s difficult to believe that this lovely sparkling gem of a lady is gone.
We were blessed to share the air with her.
