Dolly Parton Opens Up To Jenna Bush Hager On Her Legacy
In an interview with Jenna Bush Hager, Dolly Parton opens up about her legacy and what she would love to be remembered by.
Although she will always be known as ‘The Queen of Country Music,’ Dolly loves that she has also been called ‘The Book Lady.’ This name comes from the program that she started, Imagination Library, that has already given over 115 million books away to children.
Dolly Parton is an avid reader and reads about 50 books a year. From historical fiction, to romance, to mystery, or anything that’s on the New York Times bestseller list, Dolly is a fan of any book that she can get her hands on. Her love of reading started when she was a little girl when her mother would read the Bible to her.
When talking about her book program, Imagination Library, Dolly explains how books are so important in furthering the education of children.
“We’re just so happy to get books in the hands of children, because even if you can’t afford to go to college or get a big education, if you can read, you can educate yourself,” says Dolly. “There’s a book out on anything you want to know about.”
Dolly’s father was the one who inspired her to start this wonderful book program.
“My dad, and a lot of my relatives, that were brought up in the mountains from big families, they had to go to work to take care of the family. They didn’t get the chance to go to school. My dad was the smartest person I ever knew, but he couldn’t read and write. That always bothered him and troubled him,” shares Parton. “I wanted to do something so my dad could be proud to help me with it. And Daddy got to live long enough to hear the kids call me ‘The Book Lady,’ and he was as proud of that as me being a star. That meant so much to him, so I felt like I brought honor to my dad through that.”
From the music that she has written and performed, to the books that she has placed in the hands of so many children, Dolly’s impact on the world has been great. What a blessing her life’s work has been, and she has touched many people in so many ways!