For those who do not know her songs and singing, the photo above may be misleading. Dolly was known for her wildly artificial look. But if you examine the photograph closely, you will also find evidence of her great sincerity; her ability to perform simple songs with simple messages in such a way that they transcended artifice to reach the very core of the listener.
Today we have one of her best and most famous albums, 1973's Jolene, which begins with its deservedly famous title song where she begs a beautiful rival to stay away from her man. The other side leads off with a second astonishing (and famed) composition, I Will Always Love You, supposedly written in farewell to her singing partner, Porter Wagoner, whose act she had joined at age 21. This heavily gospel influenced number was later to become a mega-hit for the remarkable Whitney Houston, herself from a gospel background.
Gospel - along with true folk music - was the root of Dolly's career. She learned music from her parents and relatives in rural Tennessee. The talent and endless drive was hers alone. Allied to a big heart, and a welcoming and accepting nature, she became a legend, and rightfully so.
In addition to the LP, I have added another of Parton's greatest songs, and my personal favorite, the hugely affecting and deeply meaningful Coat of Many Colors from 1971, which somehow captures both her hardscrabble background and her great humanity. May she rest in peace.
