Country music legend Dolly Parton has come to hold a special place in the heart of Black folks throughout the years. From her signature blonde hair and dimpled smile to her glamorous persona and sweet Southern belle accent, Parton has captured the love and adoration from our culture — due in large part on how she’s shown up for us.
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Think about it: Not only has she been outspoken on a variety of issues concerning Black folks, but she’s also done a good job with collaborating with some of our most beloved artists. So it’s no wonder more than a handful of Black people were sad to hear she recently had to postpone her Las Vegas residency due to “health challenges.”
While she recovers, we thought it’d be fun to list out all the reasons why we rock with the “Jolene” singer. So grab your cowgirl boots and get ready for a fun read — you just might learn something new.
Dolly Parton Wanted Whitney Houston to Cover “I Will Always Love You” and Was Grateful She Did
Most people know that Parton originally sang “I Will Always Love You’ in 1974, but it didn’t quite hit the same way as when Whitney Houston covered it for her 1992 film, “The Bodyguard.” In a 2017 interview with Harry Connick Jr., Parton revealed that she was “grateful” that Houston sang her song as she had submitted it for consideration for the film but never heard back. She also previously told Larry King that she was “flattered” and “honored” at the feat.
“When Whitney did ‘I Will Always Love You,’ Lord, I mean, that thing generated so much music,” Parton said. “And somebody, there was a tabloid story saying that Whitney and I were in a big feud, she said it was her song and I said it was mine. None of that was ever true. I was so flattered, so honored, and so lucky that she did it.”
Dolly Parton’s Surprising Investment of “I Will Always Love You” Royalties
Thanks to Houston’s rendition of the song, Parton received nearly $10 million in royalty money. In an interview with Andy Cohen in 2021, she revealed that she used some of the money to invest in a Black neighborhood in Nashville. She purchased a commercial complex in the then-predominately Black area of Sevier Park as a way to honor Houston and dubbed it the “house Whitney built.”
Dolly Parton Changed Her Restaurant Name to Reflect the Right Side of History
In 2018, Parton changed the name of her popular Pigeon Forge, Tennessee dinner show from “Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede” to “Dolly Parton’s Stampede” in effort to differentiate her business from the negative, racist connotations that the word “dixie” holds. Per historians, the word became an anthem for the confederacy and associated with the evils of slavery.
Pete Owens, Director of Media and Public Relations for World Choice Investments which also co-owns Parton’s restaurant said at the time that the name “clearly showed that there was a misconception as to what our show was about. They don’t really seem to understand that the Stampede is a patriotic, spectacular show.”
Dolly Parton Believes Black Lives Matter
“I do understand people having to make themselves known and felt and scene. And of course Black Lives Matter. Do we think our little white asses are the only ones that matter? No, everybody matters,” Parton said in an interview in 2020 during the height of the George Floyd protests. Her words echoed all across the internet and consequently led to her receiving a mural in Nashville.
Dolly Parton Supported Beyoncé’s “Jolene” Cover and Foray Into Country Music
In a post to Instagram in February 2024, Parton weighed in on the conversation surrounding Beyoné’s country singles, “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold’em,” showing nothing but love to the “Renaissance” artist. She later cosigned Bey’s cover of “Jolene.”
“I think it was very bold of her,” Parton told E! News in May 2024. “When they said she was gonna do ‘Jolene,’ I expected it to be my regular one, but it wasn’t. But I love what she did to it. And as a songwriter, you love the fact that people do your songs no matter how they do them.
Dolly Parton’s Fashion Game Was Always On Point, Just Like Us
Black TikTok user Camille Viviana praised Parton for her always over-the-top and unapologetic glam.
“People say she’s tacky, I say she’s iconic: Miss Dolly Parton,” she said. She later went on to say that her deliberately doing too much with her fashions, body, and hair made her admirable due to her authenticity and confidence to just be herself. That’s something all of us Black folks know a lot about how to do!
Dolly Parton Is A Philanthropic Queen
Another point that Viviana made is that Parton’s generosity knows no bounds. As a part of her Dollywood Foundation, she started the Imagination Library in 1995 to ensure that children from birth to age five would have books to read and promote literacy. FOR FREE. You already know that Black kids were able access this program and that no doubt helped contribute to their reading levels.
Black Folks Love for Dolly Is So Strong, It’s Sometimes Unexplainable
For TikTok user Lil’ Lo, she couldn’t quite articulate why she rides so strongly for Parton, but rest assured, she’s not playing when it comes to her.
“I will not be explaining, I will not be elaborating. Just know that if you f*ck with this b*tch, you’re gonna have to f*cking go through me,” she said.
Sounds about right to us!
Dolly Parton Always Knows How to Read the Room
“For me, Dolly Parton is Betty White to y’all,” said TikTok user Lovely Monroe Doll88. “Something happen to her, I’mma just lose it.”
She went on to applaud the decision Parton made in 2021 to refuse to have a statue erected of her in Nashville. At the time, Parton cited the current social climate and felt the decision would’ve been inappropriate and respectfully declined the offer.
“That’s what you do,” the user said.
Dolly Is Streets Smart and Business Savvy
For TikTok user Shiheem, he praised Parton for her savvy business prowess and for making sure she’s always had her ducks in a row when it comes to her song credits and her money. If there’s one thing Black people don’t play about, it’s our money. It seems like Parton was just like some of our other beloved singers like Aretha Franklin and more who made sure she was gonna get what was rightfully owed at the end of the day.
Dolly Parton Is One of The Few People We Will Adopt As Part of the “Black Delegation Trade-Off”
In a viral joke in 2023 when Black folks on social media were deciding which one of our kinfolks to trade to the the white side in exchange for one of their non-problematic members, Parton’s name was consistently at the top of the list and for good reason. We just showed you plenty of times that she’s been solid and down for us. We’ll trade Clarence Thomas for Dolly, quickly!!
Dolly’s Got The Black Community’s Watchful Eyes On Her
As noted by TikTok user Aubeney, we as a collective people are all keeping a close watch on Parton given her current health condition. We know she lost her husband earlier this year, the same man that she’d been married to for over three decades. Couples like that usually have a hard time dealing with losing each other, so given that and what she’s going through right now–it’s making us all extra vigilant to make sure she stays on this side of heaven.
Black People Are Praying for Protection for Dolly Parton
Leave it up to comedian Dulcé Sloan to bring some funny and some spiritualness into this situation. By now, it should be clear that we all rock with Parton heavy, so it’s about time to get the prayer warriors and deacons involved because she can’t go to those pearly gates yet! Don’t worry, Dolly, we’ll hold Jesus up on that mainline for you.
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