The queen is dead, long live the queen!
Dolly Parton—perhaps the most universally beloved American—died at 80 yesterday. She went peacefully, surrounded by family.
Known as a formidable singer-songwriter and a tentpole in country/pop music, Parton was an icon to several seemingly opposed cadres. She was claimed and adored by the queer community, the Christians, the Democratic Socialists of America, the unruly femmes, and the gleefully tacky, among other groups.
Why will we always love her? Because Dolly rose out of poverty in Tennessee to become a consistently chart-topping millionaire, and with her riches she did things like speak up for the trans community, fund research for the early COVID vaccine, and give thousands of free books to children.
On FKA Twitter, several have speculated that she did more for the country than many American presidents. The worst of whom has nonetheless laid flowers, because she was that likable.
