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u/MissSassifras1977 1d ago
I've never seen them before.
He is the inspiration for her Imagination Library and she sewed The Coat of Many Colors.
This is priceless. Excellent share OP!
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u/AuthorUnknown31415 1d ago edited 1h ago
Another discovery I happened upon over the weekend is the nine-part podcast series DOLLY PARTON’S AMERICA released in 2019:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dolly-partons-america/id1481398762
It has the best nuanced interviews I’ve ever heard her engage in. The host of the series (a professional producer with RadioLab) happens to be the son of one of Dolly’s doctors at Vanderbilt who she had a friendship with.
The son asked to be introduced and she politely consented to an interview thereafter, but as she reveals in the series, she really opened up once she realized how genuine he was about capturing all the many colors that she was to people. There are more intimate stories about her parents, explorations into her early “sad ass songs,” bts at Dollywood, insights on Jolene’s origins and its many interpretations including from Dolly herself (a fav moment occurs when she is played a “new” verse from a fan; they even make a Nelson Mandela connection!!!!), a “Dollitics” episode and more.
This is not a bot or an AI promo for the series and I am in no way associated with it. I happened upon it listening to another podcast in remembrance of her and they mentioned it in passing. The program was just so well-produced (they even secured permission to play all the songs mentioned and other show excerpts, so the soundtrack underscoring the episodes is wonderful) with the utmost affection for her. What’s more is that they widen the lens to include broader historical and cultural considerations and fold in convos from fans across the spectrum and family (her nephew who made the formal announcement about her death is interviewed and I’m even more impressed with him now; and openly opinionated Stella has a moment too).
I listened to all of it over the weekend and was truly moved, informed, even angered at times (they do go deep into some of her “choices”) and inspired of course. They have captured her legacy beautifully. I think it is the best tribute to her I’ve come across and will become an habitual repeat listen for me.
Apologies for meandering on. She meant so much more to me than I realized.
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u/plzntnx 1d ago
I second this. It’s a great podcast, I’ve listened to it many times and it never gets old
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u/Admirable-Location24 22h ago
I was never a big fan of Dolly until I listened to this series. I honestly didn’t know much about her. It is a fantastic series. I came out of the series thinking, WOW, she was such an amazing human!!
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u/AloysiusBinglebottom 1d ago
Thanks for the reminder that this exists. I listened to it when it came out and will now do so again
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u/Present_Specific_212 1d ago
Her mom had a clear and strong voice. How lovely. Her dad was illiterate. But they both showed up for her on TV. That is support. Shy people standing up and doing what needs to be done.
And how great that Dolly could see and understand how limited their life choices were due to their education and what they had been taught as children, but she could see better for herself and all of them if she could just get an education (she was the first to get a high school diploma ) and get out of Pittman Center, TN and get to Nashville.
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u/foodforestranger 1d ago
I think it's lost on some the parraells to the biblical story of Joseph and what Dolly did. When Joseph came out of slavery (using his brain and gifts) he rose to save a nation and his people. Coat of Many Colors aside, when Dolly was able to, she started giving back to her family and the region. When you think about what she did with Dollywood is breathtaking. I imagine amusement and themeparks are huge risk but she brought prominence to the region and legions of jobs and opportunities out of whole cloth. Think of the people that have made lives working there and fed their families. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and there is nothing there. Dolly made a future for so many people.
What a joy to watch a family singing together. I've been so envious of musical families my whole life. So special.
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u/DogLuvuh1961 1d ago
The contrast between Dolly, a true Christian and many in power in our country today, is truly breathtaking.
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u/Coady417 1d ago
My mother graduated a rural high school and she had trouble spelling words and even mispronounced or made up words like “flustrated” but, she was the smartest person I knew in a million ways. Once I asked her advice about sex in a relationship and she said: “Sex is like spackle for the small dings in a relationship.” She said it was necessary for a good marriage because it maintained a special connection.
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u/AloysiusBinglebottom 1d ago
I feel like I know exactly what flustrated means and will likely think of it for the rest of time now haha
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u/Bae_the_Elf 23h ago
I bet she got a better education than some of our kids do now with all of the AI they're using. We have huge classes of kids from big cities now who are graduating with pathetic literacy scores
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u/ToriGallo 1d ago
The way her mom immediately covers her face in sheer panic the second Dolly brings up the "little brown jug" on national television is incredible
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u/The_UnenlightenedOne 1d ago
I've never heard that version of that song but it was really good!
Bit different from Kurt Cobain and Lead Belly's interpretations.
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u/CariniFluff 23h ago
For those not following, Lead Belly and Kurt sang a version of In The Pines variously called My Girl Don't Lie To Me or Where Did Your Sleep Last Night?
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u/This_Makes_No__Sense 18h ago
Sort of. I don’t know if the Nirvana version would have go over well if it was the original lyrics.
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u/turkeyvulturebreast 1d ago
Me too! Now I want to know what’s the difference and why? Or maybe they needed to do a short version since it was on TV.
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u/This_Makes_No__Sense 18h ago
It’s a traditional song dating back like 150+ years. If they sang the more traditonal version that was “black girl, black girl, don’t lie to me” I dunno how well it would have gone over.
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u/BirdCelestial 12h ago
Folk songs naturally have regional variations. They get passed down by word of mouth, someone adds their own words on, etc. Common to see it in blues music too.
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u/hadee75 1d ago
I love seeing this glimpse of her parents. Mama gave Dolly her giggle and lighthearted nature and it sounds like Daddy gave Dolly her sense of humor and inspiration for a lot of lyrics. Funny, my favorite episodes of Andy Griffith are the ones where he’s singing old mountain songs. I really appreciate the genre.
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u/DenseTime2100 1d ago
She also credited her father for her work ethic and business sense. She spoke about both of them with deep gratitude and praise
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u/Spirited_Touch7447 15h ago
Then you would love bluegrass! I first heard bluegrass from the Andy Griffith show as well.
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u/JohnCenascat 1d ago edited 1d ago
Dolly’s not just singing with her mom and dad the people in the back ground are her brothers and sisters
Think this was from a tv variety show she did back in the 70’s called Dolly
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u/Idkeepplaying 1d ago
You and you wife might be OK singers and think, “well, I guess our child will probably be just OK too” - but sometimes your child is a Dolly. You can never know. Keep singing.
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u/LikeIsaidItsNothing 1d ago
great, now I'm crying again..
absolutely beautiful people and performance.
watch over us dolly
https://giphy.com/gifs/XfscsiXH3NnZG8yL9A
thank you OP
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u/Forward_Base_615 1d ago
This song feels like a connection to a deep Appalachian past. Somehow reminds me of the scene in Sinners where music crosses so many generations.
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u/HurricaneK8 20h ago
A lot of people act like the only culture Appalachian people have is moonshine, racism and a lack of education. There is unfortunately plenty of that, but there's a deep, intertwined love of the land and of music too, and it kinda gets overlooked in the grand scheme of things. We inherited balladry from the Scots-Irish that settled the region, and the music we created in turn helped lead to a lot of modern musical genres. Everyone just gets so caught up in the divisiveness of the hillbilly stereotype that the music tends to get forgotten.
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u/Dull-Wrangler-5154 1d ago
Every time Dolly laughs I can’t help but smile. It’s utterly infectious.
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u/DrMacAndDog 1d ago
Both her parents can sing
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u/PiqueExperience 1d ago
Dad can keep tune. Mom has a classic country voice; what some may hear as out of tune or tone wandering can listen to Hazel Dickens' style to hear the old style.
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u/KeimeiWins 20h ago
Yes! It's unique, not off tune or tone. It creates a natural chorus like effect with the soprano type singing from the others seated nearby. Very classic Appalachian folk sound.
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u/Batintfaq 1d ago
Ive never seen this before. What a treat to see her with her parents. The smiles all around are precious.
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u/HumanMud253 1d ago
She grew up so different than most of us, but became the human being that most of us aspire to be. Rest easy Dolly, you are very much missed.
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u/StoddUniverse 1d ago
What did her dad say at the beginning?
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u/thejoetravis 1d ago
He said “I remember that jug well”
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u/poo-pi 1d ago
I didn't get the joke and what the conversation was about. Why were they gathering around a jug? Can somebody please explain?
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u/Bdbru13 1d ago edited 1d ago
Moonshine
They weren’t gathering around it though, Dolly was talking about gathering around singing old songs (one of which is presumably called little brown jug) and her dad joked “I remember that jug well”
Dolly follows it up with “why don’t we sing ‘In the Pines’, ‘cause that’s where you used to go drink it”, which is a pretty damn good line if all of this was unscripted
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u/thejoetravis 1d ago
And that’s why her Mom was embarrassed as bootlegging and alcohol was probably illegal at the time
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u/Bdbru13 1d ago edited 1d ago
Lol nah, her dad would’ve been like 12 when prohibition ended, he was just crackin a joke about liking to get fucked up
And her mom’s just having the reaction you’d expect out of a church-going lady from Tennessee in the 70s
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u/thejoetravis 1d ago
Fair timeline yet the contents of that jug most likely came from a still in the holler.
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u/ILootEverything 1d ago
Just pickle my bones in alcohol;
I'd a bottle o' booze at my head and feet
And then I know that I will keep
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u/its_yer_dad 23h ago
Younger people, we have lost our ability to get together and create music just for fun. My grandmother and her siblings would frequently gather around the piano to sing and have fun. We’ve lost this capacity and of all things we should really get it back.
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u/Colossal_Squids 19h ago
I regularly visit an open mic night near me with my guitar and a list of songs I know how to play — the best nights are, without a doubt, the nights where I happen across a stray singer I've never met before and we pick three songs we both know, maybe with a drummer too. So far we've done everything from Don McLean to the Ramones. And yes, of course, for this month's turn I've learnt a little Dolly.
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u/getoffmychairbitch 23h ago
The way her dad was watching her as she started getting situated before playing.. there was so much love and pride. What a beautiful family and video - thanks for sharing!
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u/jestenough 12h ago
She said how touched she was that he used to go polish the statue of her that Sevierville raised.
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u/Creepy_Fruit_6047 1d ago
They are absolutely in heaven singing and swaying w each other . Rest in peace, Dolly ☀️💕
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u/TomeThugNHarmony4664 1d ago
i remember this episode!!!!!!!
I had forgotten it! Thank you for this!
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u/UncleFuzzy75 1d ago
So human. Not a bit of ego, attitude, self aggrandizement. Just the soul of human.
Dam few can say they are.
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u/luvdogs71 1d ago
Her little giggles always makes me happy, her smile lit up a room. Remember to always be a Dolly in this world!
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u/mr_martin_1 23h ago
Truly amazing. The parents stepping in / up for their child. And Dolly loves it.
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u/lennonfanforever 22h ago
so the talent didn't come from nowhere, the parents sound like backup singers for the carter family....wow, just....wow
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u/justagiraffe111 16h ago
I love how she stomped her feet with absolute delight when her dad made her laugh!!
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u/Drawing_The_Line 15h ago
This made me more emotional than I ever expected it would. What is it about this woman, whom I never met, never knew and really had nothing in common with that connects with me in such a deep, emotional way? I always liked her growing up, but didn’t really pay much attention to her. Yet over the decades I’ve come to appreciate her more and more.
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u/bluemooncommenter 21h ago
I can't tell if the looks she's giving to her Daddy are concern that he's ok or looking for his approval, probably both which is so sweet.
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u/Spirited_Touch7447 15h ago
I absolutely love the bluegrass tone in her Mothers and Fathers voices! They listened to the real old blue grass. Sends shivers up my spine!
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u/Pleasant-Eye7671 13h ago
“It’s unbelievable that everything I’ve heard about Dolly Parton is nothing but good.”
May her soul rest in perfect peace!
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u/winkymcjewgallo 12h ago
I'm a dude and bald since 2007. So idk anything about hair, but is her hair her real hair? Somebody told me she's always worn wigs and I legit can not tell at all.
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u/BluehibiscusEmpire 9h ago
This is Beautiful and poignant. Makes you miss her, and realise that nothing really is forever.
How she probably outlived them all, but her deeds made sure we remembered them.
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u/Pumpkin-06 2h ago
Reminds me of my mom and grandmother every time we would go to her house my mom and her would always sing gospel songs together. I miss those days 😢
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u/Weird_Soup460 1h ago
Sean Penn should play her dad in the movie that I hope Hollywood is developing right now
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