How Dolly Parton improved our world: ‘She was helping everyone’

With the recent death of Dolly Parton, the world is remembering more than a country music legend – it is remembering an artist whose influence reached into philanthropy, advocacy and the lives of people far beyond the music industry.

For Annika Socolofsky, an associate professor of composition at the University of Colorado Boulder, Parton’s legacy is found not only in her songwriting and unmistakable voice, but also in the way she used her success to advocate for others.

Dolly Parton’s legacy

What they're saying:

"Dolly Parton is impossible to define because she somehow led so many different lives all at once," Socolofsky said.

Socolofsky’s research examined Parton’s vocal interpretation and songwriting, particularly how her voice and musical choices strengthened stories about women’s empowerment, LGBTQ+ acceptance and working-class struggles. 

Her impact, Socolofsky argued, cannot be measured by music alone. Throughout her career, Parton increasingly used her growing fame, wealth and influence to give back. She supported her family and the community where she grew up before expanding her philanthropic efforts to people around the world.

"She was helping everyone around her as much as she could, giving back to her family, giving back to the community that she grew up in, and then giving back to the world," Socolofsky said.

Dolly Parton’s philanthropic efforts

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She said Parton’s commitment to helping others was shaped in part by her childhood in extreme poverty. Socolofsky said that experience gave Parton a unique understanding of what it means to struggle and to fight for opportunities in a world where inequality can be deeply entrenched.

"She saw so many women around her experiencing systemic and direct racism and misogyny," Socolofsky said. "This is something that she has a real lens into – what it means to have to claw your way up in this world."

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That perspective became part of the broader story Parton told through her music and public life. Her work repeatedly gave attention to people whose voices and experiences were often overlooked.

"I think that's something that also appeals or connects with a lot of people is how much compassion she had for every single person, even if they were being mean to her. And I think that is such a beautiful lesson for all of us to learn, is have a little more compassion for each other. See the beauty and the humanity in each and every person," she continued. 

Dolly Parton dies at 80

The backstory:

Parton died Tuesday following a career spanning seven decades. She was 80 years old. 

The singer, known for hits including "Jolene" and "9 to 5," sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

Throughout her life and career, she focused on improving the lives of those who benefit from her charities.

RELATED: Dolly Parton's philanthropy will leave a long-lasting legacy

In 1988, she founded the Dollywood Foundation to improve educational opportunities for children in her hometown of Sevier County, Tennessee. The foundation later launched Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which began in 1995 as a local effort to provide free books to young children and has since grown into an international program delivering more than 300 million books to children across five countries.

At her death, Parton’s family said that, at her request, donations to the Imagination Library may be made in lieu of flowers. 

"The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world." Dolly Parton via the Imagination Library website.

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