Everybody and her sisters have written about Dolly all week. 

It matters not. I’m going to have my say.

The thing is—I was not always a Dolly Parton fan. My parents loved her. My teenage self? Not so much. But then, my teenage self was not a country music fan. Absolutely not.

“Dumb Blonde” was Dolly’s first hit. The song peaked at #24 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1967. I was too young to know who she was, but the title describes exactly what I thought of her in my teen years. To me, the over-stacked, cake-faced, bleach blonde was a fake, a fraud, a one-woman circus.

Talk about judging by appearance only.

Little did I know my path would soon lead to a crash course in country music and its stars. When Gary and I married, we moved to Alabama. He started veterinary school. I took a job as the morning drive time DJ for a—get ready—country radio station. 

That meant I would be spinning records dedicated to the music genre I despised. I would be talking about bands and solo artists I knew nothing—and I mean nothing—about.

Before I signed on for my first shift, I went out and bought every country music magazine I could find. Thus, began my education and a steady diet of humble pie.

It didn’t take long for me to realize I had never really listened to the songs. I had been a “turn off the knob as soon as the notes sounded country” kind of girl. 

I flipped on the microphone switch Monday through Friday mornings and played record after record (look it up). Into my headphones streamed one amazing story after another, all set to music.

I began to appreciate the talents of country artists and their writers. That Dolly Parton was both was another surprise I discovered during my “Get your head outta bed” country DJ days.

Dolly penned over 3,000 songs including 25 of her own number one solo hits. More than 500 of her compositions were recorded either by her or other artists. Songs like “Waltz Me to Heaven” for Waylon Jennings and “The Stranger” for Kenny Rogers. “I Will Always Love You” soared to number one for Dolly and, later, Whitney Houston.

A few years ago, a gift I gave my mother became one of the highlights of her life and mine: tickets for a Dolly concert. Before the big night, I said to myself, “Self, Dolly is older now, and I doubt she’ll perform for much more than an hour, but it will be fun.”

Again, Dolly proved me wrong.

She blazed onto the stage in her wig, rhinestones, and five-inch heels. She sang, told stories, and I lost count of how many instruments she played: guitar, banjo, drums, saxophone, keyboard, dulcimer….

After the first hour and fifteen minutes, the entertainer of entertainers took a 10-minute break. Wearing a brand-new outfit, she returned and held her audience captive for another hour and fifteen minutes. It was, without a doubt, the most entertaining concert I’ve had the pleasure to experience. 

Dumb blonde? 

More like a woman who wore the literal “Coat of Many Colors.” Dolly was a gifted singer, brilliant songwriter, vibrant storyteller, incredible musician, talented actress, generous humanitarian, and shrewd businesswoman. Her love for her family knew no bounds, and her dedication to Christ was no secret.

Truth reigned through the lyrics Dolly wrote and sang in her 1967 hit:  

“…Just because I’m blonde don’t think I’m dumb

‘Cause this dumb blonde ain’t nobody’s fool…

…And you know if there’s one thing this blonde has learned

Blondes have more fun….”

That you did, Dolly, and thanks to you, so did we.