On Tuesday, August 25, Dolly Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, had the heartbreaking task of announcing that the famed singer had sadly passed away. At 80, the hitmaker produced a life and career that would forever be celebrated. Throughout her time in the spotlight, Dolly proved how far a dream could take a person. From country music to Hollywood, the icon took over Nashville. But among all her accomplishments and success, she never added the title of “mother.” And according to Dolly, there was a reason she never had children.
With Dolly married to her late husband, Carl Dean, for six decades, many believed that they would eventually add a few children to the family. But as the years passed, that thought became a fading memory. But Dolly insisted that she was never heartbroken over not having children. As she saw it, it gave her the ability to be completely free. “Since I had no kids, and my husband was pretty independent, I had freedom. So I think a big part of my whole success is the fact that I was free to work.”
It wasn’t only a decision made by Dolly. She added that it was spiritual. “I didn’t have children because I believed that God didn’t mean for me to have kids so everybody’s kids could be mine, so I could do things like Imagination Library because if I hadn’t had the freedom to work, I wouldn’t have done all the things I’ve done.”
Dolly Parton Was The Mother Of The World
As the world continued to mourn the passing of the legendary icon and global treasure, Seaver noted how Dolly embraced the unknown. “Dolly was a farmer, just like her daddy; he farmed the soil, she farmed songs and happiness. Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life of wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest.”
Having discussed the possibility of motherhood in the past, Dolly knew she would have been a great mother. “I would have been a great mother, I think. I would probably have given up everything else. Because I would’ve felt guilty about that, if I’d have left them [to work or tour]. Everything would have changed. I probably wouldn’t have been a star.”
Dolly never had children of her own, but through her music, generosity, Imagination Library, and love for others, she became something much bigger – a motherly figure to millions around the world.
(Photo by Paul Harris/Getty Images)
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Author: Chris Piner