Celebrating Dolly Parton on 9 to 5 Day 9/25/2026

 Today is 9/25 and we're celebrating the life and legacy of Dolly Parton. 

Dolly Parton's star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
photo by Nikki DeMartini

9 to 5 is of course the movie released on 1980 starring Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin centered around three working women who team up to overthrow their tyrannical, chauvinistic, sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical, bigot boss. Parton's character, Doralee, a sassy Southern Belle, isn't a far cry from the real Dolly. Her beauty and confidence are judged and misunderstood resulting in being shunned by co-workers because they believe she is sleeping with the boss. She doesn't let that stop her or dim her sparkle though. 

The three empowered working women eliminate their boss's toxic work environment and implement revolutionary, progressive workplace policies, including: equal pay for equal work, flexible, staggered working hours, an on-site employee daycare center and desk decorations to boost morale. By the end of the movie Doralee leaves to become a successful country singer. A clear testamate of sisterhood and girl power, of fighting for something you believe in for the greater good, of selflessness, of perseverance. These are all qualities and contirbutions we saw and got from Dolly Parton throughout her life long career.
The movie was Dolly Parton's feature film acting debut and it's theme song, the hit single "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton herself was released shortly before the movie was. The rhythm and typewriter clacking sound in the beginning of the song were famously created by Dolly tapping her own long acrylic nails together on the set. 

Dolly's stardom started long before her film debut. 

Born into a humble beginning on January 19th, 1946 (shout out to Capricorn ladies) Dolly Rebecca Parton was birthed in a one room cabin on the banks of the Little Pigeon River in Pittman Center Center in East Tennessee. She was number 4 out of the 12 children Avie Lee Carolina and Robert Lee Parton had. 

When she was little girl, Dolly began singing on local radio and television programs in the East Tennessee area. When she was just 10 years old she appeared on The CAs Walker Show on WIVK Radio and WBIR-TV in Knoxville, Tennessee. Three years later at age 13, Dolly recorded the single "Puppy Love" for the Louisiana label, Goldband Records and performed  at the Grand Ol' Orpy for her first time. Ten years after her first appearance, Dolly Parton was officially inducted as a member of  the Grand Ol' Opry. 

Her mom kept all of her children entertained with Smokey Mountain folklore and old world ballads. It's because if this that Dolly would later site her own musical abilities to her mother's influence. Johnny Cash introduced her at her first appearance at the Grand Ol' Opry on July 25th, 1959 and is rumored to have encouraged the young musician to follow her instincts regarding her career. As we all came to know, Dolly took that recommendation and ran with it.   

Mural on the streets of Nashville, Tennessee
photo by Nikki DeMartini

 At age 19 she signed with Monument Recors where she was initially pitched at a bubblegum pop singer. In 1966 she released her first country single "Dumb Blonde" and in 1967 came her first full length solo album, Hello, I'm Dolly. Her 1973 single, the now world famous "Jolene" catapulted her solo career to the height of success. 

Dolly had arrived into her stardom and our hearts. 

Her life long career gave us 49 solo albums from 1967 - 2023 and 18 collabrative albums from 1968 - 2024. Countless musicians have covered her songs over the years, most noteably was Whitney Houston's cover of "I Will Always Love You" for the movie, The Bodygaurd. 

Music wasn't Dolly's only talent. 

In the 1960's and 1970's she was on the Porter Wagoner Show along with having two short lived variety TV shows of her own: Dolly! from 76 to 77 and Dolly from 87 to 88. Her first leading role in a movie "9 to 5" in 1980 which landed her nominations for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Musical or Comedy and a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress. The film's now iconic title track, written & sung by Parton, was nominated  for an Academy Award for Best Song and a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. The song earned her a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and the Grammy Award for Best Country Song. 

Her second nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy came in 1982 for her role in the musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas while 1984's Rhinestone along side Sylvester Stallone was a box office flop. 

Poster at Ryman Auditorium 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

She appeared in movies like Steel Manolias, A Smoky Mountain Christmas and Wild Texas Wind to name a few. She also had a slew of TV appearances including but certainly not limited to: PeeWee's Play House, The Beverly Hillbillies, Designing Women, Reba, The Simpson's, an episode of the Magic School Bus and Hannah Montana playing "Aunt Dolly" to her real life goddaughter  Miley Cyrus, who was the star of the show. 

Last year I had a few days off in Nashville and treated myself to a guided tour of the iconic Ryman Auditorium. Once home to the Grand Ol' Opry, the converted church still hosts live concerts there to this day. In 1974 the Grand Ol' Opry  moved venues yet again in Nashville which means Dolly's Opry debut and induction performances both took place at the Ryman. She wasn't the only country music legend who performed there. Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Merl Haggard, Elvis Presley and many more graced the historic Ryman stage. 

Outside of Ryman Auditorium 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Being in the same space where all of those greats had performed gave me goose bumbs. Walking the dressing rooms backstage I couldn't help but think how cool it would be to work a show there. To set dressing rooms in a place like that with all of that history would be a thrill and an immence honor. For me the best part of the tour was two fold:

Ryman Auditorium stage
photo by Nikki DeMartini

1. We got to go on the stage and learned that the first 18 inches of the stage, the lighter colored planks, is wood from the stage of the original Opry. Dolly herself and all of those Country, Blue Grass, Folk music greats could have stood on those same planks.

2. Learning about the woman behind bringing the Ryman Auditorium to life after the then the Union Gospel Tabernacle fell into debt. A legend in her own regard, Lula C Naff served as the General Manager from 1920 - 1955. She was a fiesty bussiness woman who was strongly driven by her vision  which at first didn't include the Grand Ol' Opry. Naff was not a fan of the what she called "hillybilly music" that was taking over Nashville but her sharp sense as a bussiness woman had her change her tune, welcoming the Opry and all it's variety of acts to her venue in 1943 and that's where it stayed for the next 31 years.

Dolly and Lula are two woman that may have been cut from the same cloth: headstrong on getting what they wanted all the while staying true to themselves and their vision. 

Ryman Auditorium 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Dolly was one of a kind.

A southern belle with that sweet Tennessee twang who loved her roots and was proud of where she came from. The big blonde hair, flashy fits, colorful make up and of course her mountainous bust brought judgement but it didn't dim her sparkle. Perseverance in the face of adversity and criticism was nothing new to Dolly Rebecca Parton. Her autobiographical song "Coat of Many Colors" tells the true story of her mom making her a coat out of scraps of cloth because they were too poor to afford to buy a new coat which kids at school made fun of her and her coat of many colors but she kept her head high. She'd later go on to write a children's book of the same name, telling and illustrating the story of staying true to yourself and being proud of it when being bullied by peers. Being different is something to be celebrated not shamed as it often is and sways people to hide what makes them unique. 

She had a great sense of humor about it all, warding off others hate with a smile. 

She blazed trails on her own terms and she had so much love to give. She loved everyone and wanted everyone to feel her love, the right kind of Christian. She wasn't afraid to celebrate herself, opening Dollywood in 1986, a 165-acre theme park co-owned of course by Dolly herself.  Two years later in 1988 she created the Dollywood Foundation as a source of inspiration to the children in her home county to achieve aducational success.

Dolly Parton's outfit on display at Ryman Auditorium
photo by Nikki DeMartini

She launched the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in 1995, a tribute to her dad who couldn't read. Her Imagination Library is a book-gifting program that mails one free, age-appropriate book every month to children from birth until they turn five years old, regardless of their family's income. 

She was an ally for the queer community and didn't hide it. Her advocacy which spanned decades, was rooted in a personal philosophy of unconditional love, acceptance, and a refusal to judge. She co-produced the Academy Award-winning 1989 documentary Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt about the AIDS Memorial Quilt. She wrote and performed "Travelin' Thru" for the transgender-focused film Transamerica, earning herself another Oscar nomination and aslo featured a queer family storyline in her Netflix series Dolly Parton's Heartstrings. 

Ryman Auditorium 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

In 2020, she donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, funding critical early research that helped develop the Moderna vaccine.

She's donated money to families in need who endured natural distasters over the years. 

Her latest and possibly last venture while she was still an angel on Earth is Cup of Ambition Coffee set to open in Tennessee September 29th, 2026 before being available nation wide. She partnered with the historic, family-owned Community Coffee and their collaboration was built on a mutual appreciation for family, authentic connection, warmth, and a strong, hardworking spirit. 

Dolly kept the terminal illness she had private from the public eye, like her long time marriage to Carl Thomas Dean, so the news of her passing on August 25th came as a surprise. It hit at a time when America is the furthest thing from united. With all of the hate we've been witnessing and living in these days, losing her and all of her love struck a nerve. As we all know, she will always love us. We can all take a a page out of her book for the greater good and to keep her spirit alive. 

We will always love you, Dolly.