"Songwriting is my way of channeling my feelings and my thoughts. Not just mine, but the things I see, the people I care about. My head would explode if I didn't get some of that stuff out. Not everything I write is good. But it's all good for me – like therapy." Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton died today. Songwriting and singing....was her art therapy. She was just one of those people who was hard to ignore and who you couldn't help but admire. She was over the top and flamboyant....and oh so generous and real.
Bill Friskics-Warren, one of the co-authors with Paul of The Wilderness of Friendship, wrote her obituary for the New York Times. It beautifully captures who she was in and out of the spotlight.
Bill interviewed her several times over the years and grew to love her even more each time. He told Paul that even though she lived her look and glitzy stage persona nearly 24 hours a day....she always knew who she really was as a person....that her persona was not who she was as a person.
"Hopefully people can see beneath the hair to know there's a brain, beneath the boobs to know there's a heart and behind all the other stuff to know there's some talent."
Bill's New York Times obituary can be found here... hopefully this gift link will work:
There will never be anyone quite like Dolly!
MaryAnn, oh! Hadn't heard the news of Dolly Parton's death until I read your post. Sad to lose her. I found her to be a fascinating individual and I had a tremendous amount of respect for her. I listened to and enjoyed her memoir, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics, a few years ago. Thanks for letting us know that Bill Friskics-Warren wrote her obit : )
ReplyDeleteI've read her memoir too. She was so fascinating and inspirational.
DeleteThe news spread like wildfire from one shopper to the next throughout the Costco store where we were yesterday afternoon when the news broke. Thank you for your post and the link to the obit (so nice to realize who the author is).
ReplyDeleteIt spread like wildfire everywhere! What an amazing woman she was!
DeleteThank you for this link. I did not follow her career but it always felt like she was genuine and generous when I hear he speak. I will look for he memoir too.
ReplyDeleteYour welcome...I wasn't sure if it would work. She absolutely was genuine and generous.
DeleteThe New York Times obit was also published in the Boston Globe. What a remarkable life! And how exciting that Paul’s dear friend writes for the New York Times!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Paul still reads the Globe...so told me too. She was remarkable!
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