Dolly Parton, Astonishing Human.

[Bruce Spanner]

1988 – The Dollywood Foundation

 

Parton originally launched the organization in her home county of Sevier County, Tennessee, with the goal of decreasing high school drop out rates. She then started the Buddy Program, in which Parton gave $500 to every seventh and eighth grader who finished high school. According to the organization, the initiative was successful and the dropout rate declined from 35 percent to just 6 percent.

 

1989 – $500 scholarship

 

Parton offered a $500 scholarship to every student in Sevier County who wished to attend Hiwassee College.

 

1991 – Eagle Mountain Sanctuary at Dollywood

 

The 30,000-square-foot aviary managed by the American Eagle Foundation shelters the largest collection of “non-releasable” bald eagles. Parton’s efforts to preserve the bald eagle earned her the Partnership Award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2003.

 

1995 – Imagination Library

 

The Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library began sending one book per month to each enrolled child in Sevier County from birth until their first year of school. The library was founded in honor of Parton’s father, who was unable to read. As of now has given away 224,000,000 books.

 

2000 – The Dolly Parton Scholarship

 

Every year, the $15,000 college scholarship is offered to five high school seniors in Sevier County, Tennessee. According to the Dollywood Foundation, the scholarship is awarded to those who “have a dream they wish to pursue and who can successfully communicate their plan and commitment to realize their dreams.”

 

2007 – Benefit concert for new Sevier County hospital

 

The concert raised $500,000, and both Dollywood and Parton’s Dixie Stampede dinner theater pledged $250,000 each to the project, for a total of $1 million. LeConte Medical Center, the new hospital and cancer center in Sevier County, opened in 2010 and features a 30,000-square-foot Dolly Parton Center for Women’s Services.

 

2016 – Telethon after devastating East Tennessee wildfires

 

The Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit for the My People Fund, which aimed to help residents hit hardest in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, raised more than $13 million. Chris Stapleton, Chris Young, Kenny Rogers, Lauren Alaina, Alison Krauss, Reba McEntire, Cyndi Lauper and more appeared at the event.

 

2016 – My People Fund

 

To continue her wildfire relief efforts, Parton launched the My People Fund, which provided $1,000 a month for six months to families whose homes were completely destroyed amid the natural disaster. The fund also donated around $8.9 million to those in need. The initiative still helps residents pay for rent and utilities, plus food and mental health resources.

 

2016 –  Special Merit Scholarship

 

Parton awarded a $30,000 scholarship to two-year-old Evey Johns in celebration of Imagination Library’s accomplishment of shipping out one million books per month.

 

2017 – $1 million donation

 

Following the release of her I Believe in You children’s album, Parton donated $1 million to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in honor of her niece, who was treated for leukemia at that hospital.

 

2020 – Coronavirus efforts

 

Parton donated $1 million to coronavirus research at Vanderbilt University, which helped fund Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna’s vaccine is 94.5% effective against coronavirus, according to early data.

 

2021 – Middle Tennessee Flooding Relief

 

Parton and her Smoky Mountain businesses raised $700,000 to help residents impacted by the catastrophic flooding in Middle Tennessee in October 2021. Parton chose United Way of Humphreys County to receive and distribute the donation at the suggestion of her friend and fellow country music legend Loretta Lynn.

 

2022 – Dollywood Education Coverage

 

The Dollywood Co. announced in February 2022 that it will cover 100% of tuition, fees and books for any employee who is furthering their education.

The investment in employee education was made via Herschend Enterprises, Dollywood’s operating partner. The program is available to all seasonal, part-time and full-time employees at Dollywood Parks & Resorts. Herschuend’s GROW U. offers more than 100 fully funded diploma, degree and certificate programs with 30 learning partners in areas including business administration and leadership, culinary, finance, technology and marketing. The company also provides partial funding — up to $5,250 per year — for 150 additional programs in fields including hospitality, engineering, human resources and more. Employees can enroll in the program on their first day of employment.

 

2022 – Pediatric Infectious Disease Research Donation

 

Parton made yet another $1 million donation to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville in June 2022, this time aimed at helping pediatric infectious disease research.

The donation will aid Vanderbilt’s Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases to continue its effort in understanding how viruses and bacteria cause disease, understanding and preventing resistance to antibiotics, diagnosing and treating infections in children with cancer and more.

 

2022 – Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy

Parton received the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in 2022. The award, presented by the international family of Carnegie institutions to honor innovative philanthropists, debuted in 2001 and is normally awarded every two years. It was not issued in 2021 due to the pandemic.

 

And many, many more.

 

Fell free to add your own.

 

She could also knock up a decent tune and sing a bit...

[Bjornebye]

Love her. Shit myself when this thread appeared. 

[Anubis]

Good to see somebody who made good and wants to give put something back.

[Harry's Lad]

As a person there are few better, stunningly beautiful in her day too but her voice and music is just not my cup of tea. At all.

[Rico1304]

Amazing woman. She should rule the world.  

[Megadrive Man]

[manwiththestick]

Martin Samuel though, horrible get him.

[TheHowieLama]

She rocks.

Not enough for her to accept an invitation to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame though...

 

She could also knock up a decent tune

 

The irony of the lyrics in Jolene to what she has accomplished and empowered others too as well - icon.

[chrisbonnie]

My two children get a free book, every month from the dolly parton foundation. 

 

I'm in Ireland... Not America. 

 

She's a brilliant woman. And young dolly... Oh my God.......... You couldn't find a better looking woman. 

[Clem H Fandango]

Chebtastic.

[Bjornebye]

2 hours ago, manwiththestick said:

Martin Samuel though, horrible get him.

And that cunt Kirsty Allsopp 

[Pete]

She’s ace. I remember seeing Brian Johnson of AC/DC meeting her for his TV show and bring totally in awe of her. 

[Lee909]

Best decision she made was not letting Elvis cover "I will always love you", Elvis wanted to cover it but she was told by Tom Parker that she was have to sign half the rights over to them if Elvis was to cover it. She said no, 

[KMD7]

[niallers]

Jolene must have been something else if Dolly was worried about her!

[Bruce Spanner]

49 minutes ago, Lee909 said:

Best decision she made was not letting Elvis cover "I will always love you", Elvis wanted to cover it but she was told by Tom Parker that she was have to sign half the rights over to them if Elvis was to cover it. She said no, 

 

A large share of the royalties from the Whitney version went to black communities in Nashville, around about $10m.

 

She maintained full ownership of everything.

 

The recent Beyonce cover, which is a unique song really apart from the back story, only has one songwriter, Parton, and again she'll syphon these off into charities.

[chrisbonnie]

1 hour ago, KMD7 said:

 

I challenge anyone to find a better looking woman than that, past or present. 

[VladimirIlyich]

1 hour ago, Lee909 said:

Best decision she made was not letting Elvis cover "I will always love you", Elvis wanted to cover it but she was told by Tom Parker that she was have to sign half the rights over to them if Elvis was to cover it. She said no, 

Jerry Reed refused to let Tom Parker screw him over his song with Elvis cover of Guitar Man. He only relented when Parker gave him the full whack when Elvis was so desperate to record the song. 

[AngryOfTuebrook]

I love this quote.

https://www.npr.org/2020/08/14/902506007/of-course-black-lives-matter-dolly-parton-tells-billboard

 

[SasaS]

It's amazing how musicians like Dolly Parton or Abba, which people used to pretend to enjoy only ironically, today are taken seriously.

[Lee909]

15 hours ago, SasaS said:

It's amazing how musicians like Dolly Parton or Abba, which people used to pretend to enjoy only ironically, today are taken seriously.

 

 

Who never took Dolly Parton seriously, she is one of the greatest song writers in history

She might not have had much UK success but not really a shock as country music has never been that big here outside of a smallish dedicated fansbase,

[VladimirIlyich]

16 hours ago, SasaS said:

It's amazing how musicians like Dolly Parton or Abba, which people used to pretend to enjoy only ironically, today are taken seriously.

Country music was very big on Merseyside post WW2. I'm sure not just Merseyside either. Abba have also stood the test of time due to appreciation of brilliant songwriting coupled with excellent complimentary vocals in English from non native speakers.

[Jairzinho]

18 hours ago, SasaS said:

It's amazing how musicians like Dolly Parton or Abba, which people used to pretend to enjoy only ironically, today are taken seriously.

 

Have you heard contemporary music? 

[SasaS]

I (still) listen to a lot of country. Never cared for Dolly Parton. In recent years she has for some reason been promoted from a joke to an acceptable face of what you are supposed to hate, country and rednecks.

 

BTW, what great songs has she written, except those three everyone now seems to (or is supposed to) think are great?

 

On Abba, please. Winner takes it all, loser standing small.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jairzinho]

55 minutes ago, SasaS said:

I (still) listen to a lot of country. Never cared for Dolly Parton. In recent years she has for some reason been promoted from a joke to an acceptable face of what you are supposed to hate, country and rednecks.

 

BTW, what great songs has she written, except those three everyone now seems to (or is supposed to) think are great?

 

On Abba, please. Winner takes it all, loser standing small.

 

 

I think they're both shite but I can understand why people listen to older stuff, even stuff that was considered fairly mediocre (by some) at the time. Both Abba and Dolly Parton also benefit from being marketed much better than some of their contempories. Parton is sound and has big tits. Abba...no, no fucking idea.

 

But you turn on the radio now and are greated by Trap or Reggaeton so it's hardly surprising when some young people listen to a middle of the road country/rock/whatever song and are amazed to hear someone singing, or playing a chord.