By Ashley Torres
Motlow Buzz Student Editor
'The way I see it, if you want the rainbow,
you gotta put up with the rain.' -- Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton's influence reached far beyond the music industry.
The Tennessee-born singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist died Aug. 25, 2026, at age 80. In the weeks since her death, communities across Tennessee and the country have found ways to remember her career and her contributions to education, literacy and her home state.
“She was a feminist icon,” Motlow student Alba Quintero said. “She inspired so many young women to not feel ashamed and embrace who you are. I really believe she was inspiring.”
Parton's legacy is especially visible through the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a program that provides free books to children from birth to age 5. The program has become one of the best-known parts of her philanthropic work and has connected her name with childhood literacy across Tennessee and beyond.
“I remember receiving books when I was a kid. She was always Aunt Dolly to me. The book lady,” another Motlow student said.
Parton's connection to Tennessee was not limited to her music. She was born and raised in the Great Smoky Mountains and built much of her career around the Appalachian culture and experiences that shaped her childhood. Dollywood, the theme park she co-founded in Pigeon Forge, has announced plans for permanent tributes to her legacy.
Her impact has reached students and educational communities as well. The Imagination Library's focus on putting books into children's hands reflects a part of Parton's legacy that exists independently of her music career: using her success to encourage reading and access to books.
For Tennessee students, Parton's story is more than country music. It is also a story about a person who remained connected to the state where she grew up and used her platform to support causes involving children, literacy and education.
As tributes continue across Tennessee, Parton’s music may be what first comes to mind for many people. But her legacy can also be found in libraries, classrooms and the children opening books that arrived at their homes through a program that bears her name. Students at Motlow can also find Dolly Parton’s work in the college library, offering another opportunity to connect with the legacy she leaves behind.
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