08/26/2026
I’m having a hard time finding the words for this one. 💔
Dolly Parton was part of the soundtrack of my childhood and one of my earliest inspirations.
As a little girl, I didn’t just listen to Dolly’s music—I was inspired by her. Her voice, her storytelling, her humor, her sparkle, and the way she was completely and unapologetically herself. Her music helped shape me as an artist long before I even understood what that meant.
I can still picture that little girl belting out “9 to 5” and “Jolene’” at the absolute top of her lungs, having absolutely NO idea what she was singing about. 😂 I hadn’t worked a 9-to-5, nobody was taking my man, and I certainly didn’t have enough life experience to justify that level of emotion—but somehow, I FELT IT IN MY SOUL. Dolly had me convinced I had been through some things.
She showed me that you could be feminine and strong, glamorous and genuine, funny and thoughtful. That there was power in telling your own story, in your own voice, and never apologizing for being exactly who you are—or for wearing a few extra rhinestones while doing it. ✨
As I grew older, I came to admire so much more than her music: her kindness, generosity, incredible gift for storytelling, and the way she used her success to make life better for others.
It’s hard to imagine a world without Dolly Parton in it. But her voice will always be there—in the songs we grew up singing, the artists she inspired, the stories she told, and every little girl who looked at her and thought, maybe I can be exactly who I am, too.
I was one of those little girls.
Thank you, Dolly, for the music, the inspiration, the laughter, and for helping shape the artist—and the woman—I became.
And tonight, that same little girl—now an almost 45-year-old woman—is going to be belting those songs out at the top of her lungs again. Only this time, she understands exactly what Dolly was talking about. 😂
I still can’t carry a tune in a bucket…but I’ve always carried the message in my heart. 🤍✨
I will always love you.
