08/25/2026
It was nine years ago that Rosanna & I went as Dolly & Kenny for Halloween. We had always shared a love for both of them. And being a musical duo, we had the opportunity to not only dress the part, but to sing one of the greatest duets in music history while in costume. It’s honestly been one of our all time favorite memories on stage together.
When I was just a kid trying to get a deal in Nashville, I got to meet and have lunch with Dolly Parton. If you’ve ever asked me who the nicest artist I’ve ever met in all my years of playing music, you’ll know her name is always the first one that will come out of my mouth. Then I can mention others. But Dolly was number one!
Dolly had decided to go up into the hills of Tennessee back then to write an album. My “manager“ at the time worked for Country Weekly magazine. She had been invited to this luncheon to cover the release of the album and to interview Dolly. She invited me to come along and there was no way I was gonna miss it!
So I had the rare chance to sit and listen to Dolly Parton talk about something she was very passionate about for about 60 minutes. And you can imagine how joyful she was! There were maybe five of us in that room.
But, actually, she spent a lot of time asking other people at the table about themselves. She genuinely wanted to get to know everybody at the luncheon and find out how their lives were going. What started out as a press conference/interview turned into what felt like old friends catching up over sandwiches. 
I think whether you ever met Dolly or not, that’s the impression we all got. A genuine country queen who lived for the happiness of others. Always handling herself with grace & class while never being pretentious nor arrogant. 
It’s trite to say Dolly Parton will be missed. The world lost much more than a singer, writer, musician, actor & philanthropist. Today, the world lost a light... a beacon of positivity. And in this world, those lights are becoming fewer & farther between.
I think we should all remember Dolly Parton today, not only for all the incredible music she gave us, but for showing us that we can be positive and live positively.
In a world of divas, influencers and politicians… be a Dolly. 🦋