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Organizers of the Dolly Parton Hoot Night maintain that the evening is, in a refreshingly un-Portland turn, an event without an agenda—political, social or otherwise. It is quite simply a celebration of a person who is worthy of our praise. For those of you who stopped paying attention to Dolly during Bush Sr.'s administration, here are the reasons you messed up, and why Dolly Parton, 69, is not just relevant but probably deserving of some kind of sainthood.
Supporting Dolly supports literacy.
In four countries, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library will mail your child one book per month from birth to age 5. Parton founded the organization as a tribute to her illiterate father. That's 60 free books per kid, plus the free and special gift of raising a child in 2015 who knows what it's like to receive physical mail.
Carl Dean is amazing and true love is real.
Parton has been married to her asphalt-paving husband, Carl Dean, for nearly 50 years, after meeting at the Wishy Washy laundromat in Nashville in 1964. If you drive by Parton's home in Brentwood, Tenn.—as I have done in an extremely non-threatening way—you'll see that Dean laid a sparkly driveway for Dolly. I repeat: a sparkly driveway. Who doesn't want a man who's handy but also understands a flair for drama?
Dolly is capable of artistic miracles.
For creative types, long periods of artistic stagnation can leave us questioning our life choices. Next time you feel like there's no "big hit" left in you, remember that Parton wrote "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You" in the same damn night. Of the thousands of songs she has written, two of her biggest hits came out of one writing session in 1973, when she was apparently really feelin' herself. So, you know, keep trying!
Dolly is cooler than you think.
Although Parton's current "everybody's grandmother" persona has dominated her cultural character for some time now, she has a complicated history. Footage of old Letterman interviews has Parton describing nights of drunken cavorting and streaking, and long-time rumors of her breast tattoos were confirmed last year. Though I cringe somewhat at ever focusing on Parton's physical assets, the tattoos somehow lend her an air of bad-girlness I can really get behind.
Dolly "leaned in" first.
Long before Sheryl Sandberg, Parton worked from within the male-dominated country music industry to get what she wanted, using her "dumb blonde" image to, in her words, trick men into thinking she was stupid long enough to walk away with their money. When singing partner Porter Wagoner tried to keep her from going out on her own, she walked. When Elvis wanted to record "I Will Always Love You" and keep half the proceeds, she flipped him the bird. Dolly's advice? Know your worth. If you believe in your own talent, you'll be paid what you deserve.
SEE IT: The 10th annual Dolly Parton Hoot Night, featuring Amy Miller and Emily Overstreet, Catherine Feeny, Kathryn Claire and more, is at Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta St., 719-6055, on Saturday, June 6. 8 pm. $12 advance, $15 day of show. Under 21 permitted with legal guardian.
WWeek 2015