A really 'great' book!

 

“Don’t judge me by my cover, ’cause I’m a real good book.” – Dolly Parton

 

Born in Locust Ridge, Tenn, in 1946, Parton – whose death Tuesday made worldwide news – grew up in The Smoky Mountains surrounded by church singing, front-porch harmonies, old ballads, and an ear for writing music and stories.

 

Starting her career as a songwriter for her uncle Bill Owens she wrote songs for other singers before trying some for herself with such hits as Jolene; Coat of Many Colors; and I Will Always Love You.   Always interested in books as well, she used her music as the foundation for writing memoirs like My Life and Other Unfinished Business and Star of the Show.  Then she wrote a series of children's books and co-wrote a bestselling thriller Run, Rose, Run with James Patterson.

 

Despite it being a secondary career for her, books were never a side project for Parton.

 

Her books for children included the bestsellers Coat of Many Colors (also made into a TV movie) and I Am a Rainbow, giving young readers a guide on how to talk about feelings. Her Billy the Kid series feature a music-loving French bulldog in a string of Nashville-sized adventures, and she wrote a cookbook with her sister Rachel titled Good Lookin' Cookin'.

 

But perhaps her biggest “writing based impact” came with the founding of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, inspired by her father's inability to read or write. What began as a local effort grew into an international book-gifting program, and millions of children knew her as 'The Book Lady' before they knew about her music.  

“I didn’t have books at home when I was a kid, so I did all my reading at school,” Parton said.  “I love books and I believe that helping kids to read gives them a great start in life.”