International Writing.- The American singer, writer, and philanthropist Dolly Parton (1946, Tennessee), the queen of country music with a career spanning more than six decades and a woman revered in her native country, turns 80 today, away from the spotlight due to her health problems.
The author of ‘9 to 5’ or ‘Jolene’ postponed six concerts last year that she had scheduled in Las Vegas and also did not go to collect the Jean Hersholt humanitarian award, awarded by the Academy of Hollywood with an Oscar.
Two days ago, the singer shared on her social network a version of ‘Light of a Clear Blue Morning’ with Lainey Wilson, Miley Cyrus (her goddaughter), Queen Latifah and Reba McEntire to raise funds.
«I wrote this song during a time when I was looking for hope, and fifty years later, that message is still just as true. As I celebrate my 80th birthday, this new version is my way of using what I have received to illuminate the future, especially by sharing it with truly incredible women», she pointed out.
The net profits obtained from the recording will be allocated to pediatric cancer research at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, in Nashville.
Concerns about the singer’s health have been intensifying over the past year. In October, Parton posted a video on her social media to reassure her followers about her health, after her sister Freida asked for prayers for her.
«I’m not dead yet!», she said in the video, in which the composer appeared on a film set. «Everyone thinks I’m sicker than I am. Do I look sick to you? I’m working hard!», she affirms.
“I wanted to reassure you. There are many rumors circulating, but I thought that if you heard it from me, you would know that I am fine. I’m not ready to die yet. I don’t think God is finished with me, and I’m not finished working,” Parton added.
The author of country hymns like ‘Islands in the Stream’ published a book last year about her career titled ‘Star of the Show: My Life on Stage’ (‘Estrella del espectáculo: Mi vida sobre el escenario’) which, in her opinion, was “a love letter to the stage and the ‘fans'”.
On the occasion of this release, she gave People an exclusive interview in November in which she assured that despite being about to turn 80, she felt she was just beginning.
‘I don’t have time to get old!’
«People tell me: ‘Well, you’re going to be 80 years old.’ So what? Look at everything I’ve done in 80 years. I feel like I’m just getting started,» Parton assured, adding that she still has many things to do.
“If you let yourself age, you will age. I say: ‘I don’t have time to age!’. I don’t have time to think about that. That’s not what I’m thinking about,” she stated emphatically.
The singer is a musical icon in the United States, but also for her extensive philanthropic work, especially focused on children’s education and medical research.
“I’ve lived my whole life at a frantic pace. And I start to think: ‘How is it possible that I’ve had a life? How have I managed it?’. While writing this book, I realized everything I’ve sacrificed. I never had children, so at least I didn’t feel guilty. I am grateful to have seen my dreams come true,” she reflected in the interview with People.
Born into a very poor family, she is the fourth of twelve siblings who spent their childhood in a one-room wooden cabin that had neither electricity nor running water. At 18, she began her career in music and her story of overcoming adversity has made her one of the most popular figures in American culture.
Parton has signed nearly 90 solo albums, has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and has won 10 Grammy Awards from 55 nominations. In addition to her hits like ‘Coat of Many Colors’ or ‘Here You Come Again’, she is the author of ‘I will always love you’, performed by Whitney Houston in ‘The Bodyguard’.
