Bright Side: This One’s For The Queen Of Country Music

Welcome to the Bright Side, a weekly roundup of all the good news and ideas you might have missed from the past week.

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“When you think of me when I’m gone, I’d like you to smile and think, ‘Oh, she was funny. Oh, she had a good sense of humor. Even when she was sad, she’d make a joke about it’ … I’d just like to be known for what I think I am, which is just a regular person … I just hope I leave something good behind for other people to enjoy.” — Dolly Parton

If anyone was wondering how universally beloved Dolly Parton really was, the entire world seems to have gotten a little misty-eyed now that she’s gone. Not only was she a singular talent, but her love, joy, and light may be her most enduring legacy. I think she would agree that her heart was even bigger than her hair.

Along with our nation’s American flags flying at half-staff this week, iconic landmarks went pink in her honor — from the Empire State Building to the Willis Tower in Chicago, the Ferris wheel on the Santa Monica Pier, and the courthouse and Veterans Bridge in Nashville. Fans are leaving flowers and keepsakes at the foot of the Dolly statue in her hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee, as well as around her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Even the royal guard at Buckingham Palace in London performed “9 to 5” in her memory.

Remembering the late, great Dolly, who brought joy, comfort and inspiration to so many – including the millions of children given free books through her Imagination Library. We will always ❤️ you. pic.twitter.com/wdKHKGALlH

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) August 26, 2026

But don’t assume this is Dolly’s final bow. She wrote a secret song called “My Place In History” that’s currently sealed in a time capsule in Dollywood — and it’s only to be opened in anticipation of her 100th birthday in 2046. “That has drove me crazy,” she told Kelly Clarkson. “I have written a song that nobody’s gonna hear till I’m 99 years old … it’s a really good song.” 

An all-star memorial appears to be in the works, and it only seems fitting to play “I Will Always Love You” at Dolly’s funeral. But the iconic songstress made a different final musical request. She hoped to be sent off with the country-gospel hymn “If We Never Meet Again,” which she played at her father’s funeral. As the chorus goes, “If we never meet again this side of heaven, then I’ll meet you on that beautiful shore.”

 

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Dolly’s greatest quotes and one-liners

“I’m not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I’m not dumb — and I’m not blonde either.”

“I tried every diet in the book. I tried some that weren’t in the book. I tried eating the book. It tasted better than most of the diets.”

“People always ask me how long it takes to do my hair. I don’t know, I’m never there.”

“Prayer is not a formal affair, it’s more a come-as-you-are.”

“Anyone who says you can’t take it with you has never seen me pack.”

“We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.”

“A rhinestone shines just as good as a diamond.”

“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you got to put up with the rain!”

“Stop this attitude that older people ain’t any good anymore! We’re as good as we ever were — if we ever were any good.”

“I would never stoop so low as to be fashionable.”

“If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.”

“If you see someone without a smile, give them yours.”

 

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A toast to the Smoky Mountain Songbird

Dolly loved cooking and often celebrated her Southern roots with her dishes. Like she said, “My weaknesses have always been food and men — in that order.” She published two cookbooks and launched an entire grocery store line of her favorite goodies. And while her new truck stop just south of Nashville features a full-service restaurant that serves her signature “Cup of Ambition” coffee, her mere essence has inspired countless other cafes, restaurants, and rooftop bars that are just as bedazzled as she was.

Over on the silver screen side of her career, I love her easy “cuppa cuppa cake” from “Steel Magnolias,” where a “cuppa flour, cuppa sugar,” and a “cuppa fruit cocktail with the juice” bake into a cake that’s ready to eat in just 45 minutes. (I’ve made it and I can report it’s sweeter than Dolly herself.) But I stirred up her “Dirty Road Martini” — the special ingredients are unsweetened tea and pickled giardiniera brine — for a deliciously down-to-earth toast to the queen.

 

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A heart for animals

Somewhere between writing over 3,000 songs and releasing 49 solo studio albums, Dolly famously nurtured her love of animals. She was well-known for doting on her “god-dog” Billy the Kid, a French bulldog belonging to her manager Danny Nozell. Maybe you think you love your pet, but have you also launched an apparel line or written a book series in honor of your furry friend? Dolly did! Is there anything she couldn’t do?

Of course, since Dolly also launched rescues, sanctuaries, and conservation efforts that donated millions of dollars to animals, her furry fans weren’t gonna miss out on memorializing the icon.

 

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I lost count at the fifth Doggy Parton. This dog, these dogs, and this llama all dressed up like Dolly — wigs and all — but I literally got teary watching this little pup listen to his owner play “I Will Always Love You” on the keys. 

We will always love you, Dolly.

 

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Share your favorite Dolly moment in the comments (or email me, too). We’ll never forget the warmest, most generous, unapologetically glamorous star in country music! — Lauren