Dolly Parton has passed away at 80 years old, and celebrities, fans, politicians—people from all walks of life—are expressing gratitude for our Backwoods Barbie with a heart of gold. At a time when cultural consensus is nearly impossible, we can agree on one thing: Dolly made the world a better place.
Dolly is known for much more than her brilliance as a singer and a songwriter: there's her literacy program, her theme park, her wigs. She’s also known for her Christian faith. As she put it, she was born into a “Bapticostal” family. (Her grandfather was a Pentecostal preacher and her “daddy’s people were Baptist.”) The religion of her childhood stayed with her, sustained her throughout her life, kept her grounded, humble, and grateful, and inspired her to give generously and eagerly. She credited God with giving her a sense of purpose and a successful 60-year marriage to husband Carl Dean, who passed away in May 2025. “My faith is very important,” she said in 2018. “I do believe that through God all things are possible. I do believe that Jesus loves me. And I just use that. I’m never ashamed of my family. I’m never ashamed of my religion. I’m not trying to cram it down anyone else’s throat. I just think that everybody’s got to have something to believe in.”
One of my favorite lines comes from a 1984 interview she did with Andy Warhol:
