There are few personalities as universally beloved as Dolly Parton.
Tributes have poured in from fellow musicians, celebrities, and current and former presidents celebrating the life and legacy of the iconic singer-songwriter, philanthropist and entrepreneur who died on Tuesday.
Parton will be remembered for countless accomplishments including hits like “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” as well as charitable actions like founding Imagination Library — an organization that sends free books to children — and a $1 million donation in 2020 that’s credited with helping develop Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine.
She brought her talents to the screen as well. In 1980, Parton starred in the comedy film, “9 to 5” and released the hit song of the same name. Beneath the song’s upbeat melody and the movie’s cantankerous humor, both deliver a powerful message that women deserve equal pay and treatment in the workplace.
“They let you dream just to watch ’em shatter / You’re just a step on the bossman’s ladder / But you’ve got dreams he’ll never take away,” sings Parton in the song’s second verse.
The song “perfectly encapsulates the grievances of women workers — and our dreams,” says Ellen Cassedy, author and co-founder of 9 to 5, a working women’s advocacy organization.
“[The song] starts with an awakening and with pride. It directs some angry energy at the boss,” says Cassedy. “Then it summons a sense of common purpose – ‘in the same boat with a lot of your friends’ — and finally, it ends in triumph:’The tide’s gonna turn and it’s all gonna roll your way’ … We all owe Dolly a debt.”
The 9 to 5 organization started a movement in Boston in 1973 in response to gender inequality women experienced in the workplace. The movement helped inspire Jane Fonda to produce the 1980 movie.
“For the first time, working office workers like us were the main characters on the big screen,” says Cassedy. “After that, the American office was never the same.”
Through her songs, her advocacy and her magnetic personality, Parton inspired women around the world to show up as themselves and build incredible things. Here’s a sampling of what she meant to working women.
A ‘role model’
Though Parton chose to remain apolitical throughout her life, she promoted values like inclusivity and equality that helped fans with a variety of backgrounds and identities feel supported.
“As a queer person, I have always admired how she transcended politics and economic backgrounds to make everyone feel seen,” says Erin Longbottom, director of digital engagement at the National Women’s Law Center, a gender justice advocacy organization.
“That fearlessness in confronting injustice and uplifting other women is central to the work we try to do at [NWLC],” they say. “In my work, I try to channel Dolly’s willingness to speak truth to power while also connecting with people on a deeply human level.”
Karen Robinovitz, co-founder and co-CEO of Sloomoo Institute, an interactive slime experience with nine locations throughout the U.S., says Parton inspired her “to no end.”
“Her ability to give back to the world while creating a global brand that sparks pure joy for millions is iconic,” says Robinovitz. “She evoked authenticity, personal style, empowerment, uncompromising vision, philanthropy and sharp business acumen all at once. What more could you ask for in a role model?”
Jacq Tatelman, co-Founder and CEO of State Bags appreciates the way Parton “had her own way of ‘having it all,'” she says. Tatelman has followed Parton’s lead in building a business that also gives back. State Bags purchases support American children and families in need through funding and supply donations.
An ‘impossible contradiction’
Parton’s unmistakable brand alongside her talent is part of what helped her stand out as a performer. But her physical appearance may not have cemented her as such an icon without her dynamic personality and charm.
“[She] managed this impossible contradiction of being so many things in society people love to mock — a woman, over-the-top hair and makeup, unapologetic in her self-expression,” says psychologist and author, Courtney Crisp. “I’ve always been so inspired by how she could wear the rhinestones, have the big hair … and still have such an air of strength and self-respect.”
“Even in the early days, a lot of people told me I should change my look or nobody’s going to ever take me serious,” Parton said on a podcast in 2022. “I thought, ‘Yeah, they will, when they see [the talent] I’ve got.'”
Parton’s trailblazing confidence taught Crisp that women can be taken seriously and succeed without conforming to society’s standards, she says.
Texas-based media and public relations consultant Nicole Houston has been “obsessed” with Parton since she was 5 years old, she says. She will remember Parton for “who she was and what she stood for: perseverance, ambition, hard work, loyalty, humor and following your dreams,” Houston says.
“These are all attributes that I try to practice and stick to across all aspects of my career and life.”
Many around the world will mourn Parton, but her legacy will live on through her art and other endeavors.
“Our dreams (and hair) are big because Dolly told us to strive for nothing less,” Houston says. “That is how we should all pay tribute to her: keep dreaming bigger.”
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