Doug Jones: “Dolly Parton Represented the Very Best of Us and the Very Best of the South.”

Birmingham, AL – Following Tuesday’s announcement of Dolly Parton’s passing, Doug Jones released the following statement honoring her life and legacy:

“Dolly Parton was an American treasure, a beloved artist, cultural icon, and an extraordinary example of what it means to serve others.

The little girl who wore a coat of many colors never forgot where she came from. She created the Buddy Program to help students in Tennessee stay in school and graduate. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she donated $1 million of her own money to research that helped lead to the Moderna vaccine. And through the Imagination Library, she put books into the hands of millions of children across the country. That commitment to serving others earned her the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service in 2007.

Here in Alabama, the Imagination Library has delivered more than 5.4 million books across all 67 counties. More than 100,000 children receive a book addressed directly to them each month, including every child under five in Alabama’s foster care system. Children across our state are dreaming bigger because of Dolly Parton.

Dolly represented the very best of us and the very best of the South. She used her success to lift people up, never tear them down. We could all learn something from how Dolly Parton lived her life.

Louise and I are heartbroken by this loss, but her love for people will live on through her music, her service, and the millions of lives she made better.

Godspeed, Dolly. We will always love you.”

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