08/25/2026
She was the best of us. Dolly Parton said that growing up around "all kinds of people" helped shape her belief in acceptance, compassion, and staying true to herself.
"There's a whole lot of reasons for me being the way that I am. First of all, I grew up in a family of 12 kids. I got six brothers and I got my five sisters. So, I've had every personality around me. And I've often said I've got some of everybody in my own immediate family, and in my family of employees. I've got g**s, I've got le****ns, I've got trans, I've got alcoholics, I've got drug addicts. I've got some of everybody in my own family, so I naturally love them, accept them.
"And I also have a spiritual background and think that it's not my place to judge. I'm not God. There is a God piece in all of us, and I try to find that in everybody – even the worst people, there's something good in there. Maybe they didn't get a chance to be it. I understand that people that hate so much usually are the people that have never been loved enough.
"Or people that feel like they have to make a stand about something, whether it's right or wrong, they want to feel strong enough to be able to stand for something. But also you can't just get into things with other people just to be a follower.
"In my own self, I just try to love people. I try to find the God light in everybody, and I try to let mine shine extra hard when I run up against that. But I have to be careful what I say. You know, whether it's good or bad or indifferent, I'm a pretty honest, open person. I can tell you where to put it if I don't like where you got it. That's when I say I often use my temper, but I seldom lose it.
"Like they say, there's never an excuse to be rude, but sometimes there's a reason... I've been in this business for 60-plus years. I've seen a lot, been through a lot, but I've still maintained. I've just tried to be myself. I was me, and me had to be what I drew from."
Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / FilmMagic
h/t Consequence

