11 Reasons Dolly Parton Was One Of The World's Most Universally Loved Stars

Outside of her incredible achievements in the music industry, Dolly was a rare public figure who it seemed everyone only had good things to say about.

The incomparable Dolly Parton was one of those rare public figures who had a unique power of bringing people together.

Everyone – regardless of age, background or even their political leanings – seemed to have nothing but good things to say about the legendary singer-songwriter, which is what makes the announcement of her death at the age of 80 feel like such a massive loss.

Since the news broke on Monday evening, tributes from across the entertainment world have been paid, and fans have been remembering some of her inspirational quotes and hilarious one-liners while reflecting on her legacy.

To celebrate Dolly’s life and achievements, we’re diving into what it was that made her such a revered figure in the entertainment world, and someone everybody seemed to have a good word for...

Her unique sense of humour and way with words

Dolly was one of those few celebrities that everyone had a favourite quote from – whether she was serving up inspiration or just poking some fun at life or herself.

Indeed, even outside of her lyricism, Dolly delivered plenty of one-liners in her time, with “if you want to see the rainbow, you’ve got to put up with the rain” being one that’s been repeated countless times over the years, as is the motivational “find out who you are, and do it on purpose”.

Of course, brilliantly funny asides like “it costs a lot of money to look this cheap” will always have a special place in our hearts, too.

However, while she was never afraid to poke a bit of fun at herself and her public persona, she also refused to be the butt of the joke.

As she put it after her stellar performance at Glastonbury in 2014: “My boobs are fake, my hair’s fake but what is real is my voice and my heart.”

Her distinctive image

There was certainly no mistaking Dolly Parton’s look, was there?

Rhinestones and tassels anywhere and everywhere, towering hair (“the higher the hair, the closer to God” is another quote often attributed to the country star), long acrylic nails and dramatic makeup were all part of what made Dolly such an icon in pop culture.

She was also never shy about revealing the inspirations for her unique image, either.

“I make jokes about it, but it’s the truth that I kind of patterned my look after the town tramp,” she’s been quoted as saying. “I didn’t know what she was, just this woman who was blonde and piled her hair up, wore high heels and tight skirts. And, boy, she was the prettiest thing I’d ever seen.

“Momma used to say, ‘Aw, she’s just trash’, and I thought, ‘That’s what I want to be when I grow up. Trash’.”

Her generosity and philanthropy

Among Dolly’s proudest achievements was her Imagination Library literacy initiative, a program which delivered free books to children.

In North America, the Imagination Library posted every........

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