There are artists you admire, artists you love, and then there are artists who become part of the cultural fabric of your life.
Dolly Parton was all three.
We were incredibly sad to hear of Dolly's passing on 25 August 2026, at the age of 80. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she became one of the most recognisable and beloved figures in music, but calling her a country music star hardly seems enough. Dolly was a songwriter, singer, performer, actor, businesswoman and philanthropist, but above all, she was a storyteller.
And what stories she gave us.
The songwriter first
It can be easy to get distracted by the rhinestones, the big hair and the larger-than-life personality, but underneath it all was an extraordinary songwriter.
Dolly began writing songs as a child and was performing professionally while still very young. Her breakthrough came in the 1960s alongside Porter Wagoner, before she established herself as a solo artist with a catalogue that would eventually span country, pop, bluegrass, gospel and rock.
She had an incredible ability to take very ordinary human experiences and turn them into songs that felt universal.
Heartbreak. Jealousy. Ambition. Loneliness. Love. Hard work. Hope.
Few songs demonstrate that better than “Jolene”. It is remarkably simple: a woman pleading with another woman not to take the man she loves. Yet Dolly's delivery makes the desperation feel immediate every single time you hear it.
Then there is “I Will Always Love You”, perhaps the ultimate example of Dolly's talent as a songwriter. She originally wrote and recorded the song as a farewell to Porter Wagoner when she decided to leave his television show and pursue her own career. Years later, Whitney Houston's enormous version introduced the song to an entirely new generation.
Dolly's own recording remains something special, though. Stripped back and intimate, it reminds us that sometimes the most powerful thing a singer can do is simply tell the truth.
More than country
Dolly never stayed neatly inside one musical box.
Her songs travelled from Nashville to Hollywood and far beyond. “9 to 5” became a pop hit as well as the theme song to the 1980 film of the same name, while her collaborations brought her music into conversation with artists from completely different corners of the musical world.
Her influence has continued to reach new generations, too. From country artists to pop stars and rock musicians, Dolly's songs have been continually rediscovered, covered and reinterpreted.
Perhaps that is one of the greatest signs of a songwriter's legacy: the songs don't belong to one era.
They keep finding new ears.
A life bigger than the music
Dolly's legacy also extends well beyond her record collection.
Through the Dollywood Foundation and her Imagination Library, she helped put books into the hands of children around the world. She also supported medical research, including funding that contributed to the development of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Her philanthropy became another defining part of her public life.
But perhaps what made Dolly so universally loved was the combination of enormous success and genuine warmth.
She never seemed embarrassed by where she came from. She embraced the glamour, the humour and the Dolly Parton persona, while remaining fiercely proud of her roots in rural Tennessee.
She understood the power of being underestimated.
And she turned it into a career that lasted more than sixty years.
Our Dolly Parton picks
There are far too many to choose from, but if you're putting together a Dolly playlist, these are some of the tracks we'd start with:
“Jolene”
One of the greatest songs about jealousy and desperation ever written and one of Dolly's most iconic songs. “Jolene” has been covered countless times by artists across generations and genres, which is perhaps the ultimate testament to the strength of the song writing. There are so many great interpretations, but The White Stripes' raw, stripped-back take on the song has always been a favourite here at Relic.
“I Will Always Love You”
Written by Dolly in 1973 as a farewell to Porter Wagoner, “I Will Always Love You” is a masterclass in saying an enormous amount with very little. Whitney Houston's legendary version may have introduced the song to millions of people, but Dolly's original is something altogether different: intimate, vulnerable and beautifully restrained. For us, it’s a reminder that the power of a great song is always there, no matter who is singing it.
“9 to 5”
Few songs capture the frustration of working life quite as brilliantly as “9 to 5”. Written for the 1980 film of the same name, Dolly turned workplace exhaustion into an irresistibly catchy pop-country anthem. Beneath that singalong chorus is a sharp song about inequality, low wages and being taken for granted. More than four decades later, it still feels remarkably relevant.
“Coat of Many Colors”
One of Dolly's most personal songs, “Coat of Many Colors” tells the story of a coat her mother made for her from scraps of fabric when the family had very little money. What could have been a story about poverty becomes something much more beautiful: a song about family, pride and the way we choose to see what we have. It’s Dolly at her most heartfelt, and one of her finest examples of turning a personal memory into something universal.
“Here You Come Again”
By the late 1970s, Dolly was proving she could step comfortably beyond the boundaries of traditional country music, and “Here You Come Again” was a huge part of that transition. With its polished pop production and unmistakable Dolly vocal, the song brought her to an even wider audience without losing the personality that made her music so distinctive. It’s a great example of Dolly evolving without ever losing herself.
“Islands in the Stream”
Dolly and Kenny Rogers on the same track was always going to be special. Written by the Bee Gees and originally intended for Rogers as a solo song, “Islands in the Stream” became one of the most beloved duets of the 1980s. The chemistry between the two is effortless, and the song has endured as one of those rare collaborations that feels just as good decades later as it did the first time around.
“Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like That”
If you want a reminder that Dolly never took herself too seriously, put this one on. “Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like That” is playful, cheeky and full of personality, with Dolly delivering every line with that unmistakable combination of humour and confidence. It’s pure Dolly: glamorous, funny and completely unafraid to have a good time.
“Light of a Clear Blue Morning”
A beautiful song about coming through difficult times and finding hope on the other side. “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” has always had a sense of optimism at its heart, with Dolly singing about the feeling that brighter days are finally ahead. Listening to it now, it feels especially poignant. Sometimes the simplest message is the one we need most: things can get better.
Thank you, Dolly
Dolly Parton leaves behind an extraordinary body of work, but perhaps her greatest legacy is the permission she gave people to be themselves.
To be ambitious without losing your kindness.
To be glamorous without taking yourself too seriously.
To remember where you came from.
To write your own songs.
And to keep finding a little bit of hope, even when things are hard.
Her music will keep doing what great music does: finding people when they need it.
So, today, we're putting on a Dolly record.
Turn it up.
And thank you, Dolly.