When it comes to country music royalty, Dolly Parton is definitely one of the most recognizable names. Parton has made a huge impact on the music industry for decades with hits like “Jolene,” “9 to 5,” and “Coat of Many Colors.” She is known for her impeccable songwriting skills and her unique singing voice. She also wrote and recorded “I Will Always Love You” in 1973, before it was made famous by Whitney Houston in 1992.
Parton is best known as an actress, author, businesswoman and humanitarian, as well as a singer and songwriter. Her debut album, Hello, I’m Dolly, was released in 1967, and she has remained a mainstay in the industry for more than 50 years.
After spending so much time in the spotlight, Parton has always strived to make a positive impact on the world through her music and her actions, giving her the opportunity to be a role model to many. There were many. Parton was born in Tennessee on January 19, 1946, the fourth of 12 children, and grew up in poverty.
But she had a true love for her music, and she moved to Nashville the day after graduating high school, beginning a career that would last her entire life. In 2021, the 77 -year -old parton was appointed as “the people of the year” for his charity contribution and a general status as a real icon. Continue to read the poverty of partnent childhood and how it affected philanthropy.
Parton grew up in a one-room cabin on the banks of the Little Pigeon River in Pittman Center, Tennessee. His father was an illiterate sharecropper and his mother was from Wales and entertained her children with stories and ballads. In the past, she described her family as “bad dirt”, but later said:
“We were poor, but I was not poor. We were always eaten, had a roof on our head, and had clothes on the back. It wasn’t ideal, but Mom and Dad were always quick to point out other families who were suffering much more than we were. Everything seemed completely natural to me. It’s only when we think about beans and cornbread, sleeping in beds, using newspaper for insulation, and toilets that we realize that we were indeed poor.
One of the challenges was that the family could barely enter the cabin and had to spend most of their time outdoors. She also revealed that in 1978, at the age of eight, she saw a toilet for the first time at her aunt’s house.
“I did not dare to use it. “I just thought it was right to suck us,” she said. Parton said her family made soap and bathed only once a week during the winter. However, during her high school years, she claimed that she had to take a bath every day because “everyone slept together” and “the kids peed on me every night.”
Despite her difficult childhood, Parton cherishes her memories and her lessons. “My family will always be my first and greatest love. There is an element of family in everything I do, although sometimes it gets buried in the mix. “My family influences my music,” she says.
Parton’s estimated net worth is her $375 million, and her staggering wealth is rivaled only by her generous heart. Ms. Parton has made significant contributions primarily through the Dollywood Foundation, which she founded in 1988.
Originally established to provide scholarships to students at the former Parton High School, it has expanded to include students from other schools and qualified teachers. The Imagination Library is one of the foundation’s most unique programs, founded in 1995 in honor of Parton’s father.
The program began in Tennessee and has since expanded to all 50 states, distributing approximately 1.3 million books each month to approximately 2 million children in the United States. When the initiative published its 100 millionth book in 2018, Parton told NPR that she never imagined it would “become this popular.”
“I just wanted to do something special for my dad and my home county and maybe a few other counties. But then everything happened, and I think it was destiny.” she said. In difficult times, Parton also donates and raises funds. Her My People Foundation, which she founded after the devastating Great Smoky Mountains fires in 2016, has raised more than $9 million to help 900 families.
Parton also donated to Vanderbilt University Medical Center after her niece was successfully treated for leukemia.
She has supported the American Red Cross, HIV/AIDS charities, and animal welfare organizations, among others. She also became a vocal supporter of coronavirus vaccines in 2020, with her $1 million donation contributing to the development of the Moderna vaccine.
Parton said her philanthropy comes naturally to her. People quoted her as saying:
“I am addicted to the feeling of giving, knowing that I am making a difference in the lives of others.
What do you think about Dolly Parton’s generosity? Do you think her past influences what she gives back to society? Please let us know and share it with your friends and family.
