SHALOM, THE “OTHER” DOLLY! August 27, 2026

I rarely write about the death of a celebrity, but Dolly Parton’s life deserves a few words.

In 2019, I wrote “Shalom, Dolly!” after seeing the Broadway road musical, “Hello, Dolly!” The show had aged, but the staging and cast made it literally—and figuratively—sing. I also felt it personally. Dolly Gallagher Levi, a matchmaker supreme, was a non-Jewish woman widowed by a Jewish haberdasher (Ephraim Levy). Some people asked, was Ephraim really Jewish? If so, where did that leave Dolly? In 2006, Tovah Feldshuh decided not to play Dolly as Jewish because she herself was. But the late Carol Channing, who originated the role, did play Dolly as Jewish.

My wife Carolyn is very much a “Dolly,” although I’m still alive. She’s not Jewish but has lived as a Jewish wife and mother—and daughter-in-law and sister-in-law—since our marriage 57 years ago. My own “Dolly” is very special.

So was Dolly Parton, who rose from growing up in a one-room cabin in eastern Tennessee to becoming one of the nation’s most accomplished and wealthy musical artists.

When Carolyn and I lived in San Antonio years ago, I sometimes watched “The Porter Wagoner Show” on TV. We had only a few network-affiliate channels. No cable. No streaming. Through Porter Wagoner’s show, I got to experience country music and a bit of country culture. (I also enjoyed Minnie Pearl on “Grand Ol’ Opry.”)

Dolly Parton was a featured singer on Wagoner’s show. On each, she sang the “sacred song.” A Christian song. Although her blonde hair and figure seemed a bit at odds with that.

After several years, Dolly went out on her own. She wrote 3,000 songs—that we know of—and recorded many. She also performed the songs of other writers. My favorite: “Islands in the Stream,” a duet with Kenny Rogers released in 1983 and written by the Bee Gees. The tune blows me away. And like all country and country-pop songs, it tells a story!

Now, Dolly is mourned not just for the loss of her immense talent but her big heart. She made a fortune. She gave much of it to good causes. She founded and partially funded her “Imagination Library,” which has given children from birth to age five in five countries over 330 million books. Her father, whom she loved, could not read or write.

By all means, delve into the good work that Dolly did. And look at her character—a wealthy, successful and oft-honored woman who respected and accepted all other people. That trait would stand out at any time. Today, it shines like the luminous star Dolly was.

I can’t help thinking that in death, Dolly is giving America the biggest gift of all: a wake-up call. She set the example of the kind of humanity about which all religions preach but which goes unheeded by so many followers—especially in positions of power.

Shalom (which means hello, goodbye and peace), Dolly Parton! At a time when so many people in the public eye can’t even talk the talk, you walked the walk. Wearing some of the most colorful costumes ever, you caught our eye. Singing like a bird, you captured our heart. 

In your memory, may some Americans, loudly hostile towards “others,” start singing a different tune.

Enjoy a great read about America’s 20th-century flirtation with authoritarianism in my novel RIDE THE TYGER. Order from Amazon, barnesandnoble.com, iuniverse.com, or your favorite bookstore.