DETROIT (WXYZ) — While Dolly Parton’s decades of hit songs unified fans across genres, her quiet generosity reshaped communities far beyond Nashville, including in Detroit.
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Motown legend Martha Reeves tells 7 News Detroit she remembers meeting Dolly Parton and wasn't just struck by her staggering talent, but by a warmth she says felt instantly familiar.
ADDITIONAL COVERAGE: Music icon Dolly Parton dead at 80
“A lovely person, a wonderful person," Reeves said. “I last saw her when I was doing an all-girls show in New York as she came in the door with Queen Latifah. They were so happy to be together. They were laughing and talking, and that’s how I remember her."
That heart extended deep into literacy. Parton’s Imagination Library has mailed millions of free books to children worldwide, partnering locally with institutions like Wayne State University to put books into the hands of young readers across Detroit.
WSU library archivist Stefanie Caloia tells 7 News Detroit she was more than honored to co-found Wayne State's affiliate of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in 2020.
“The Little Engine That Could -- that was Dolly’s favorite book growing up. So, this is the first book that children receive when they sign up for the program,” she said. “Everywhere we go, anyone we tell about the Imagination Library, people get so excited because everyone loves Dolly. She’s like an uncontroversial positive figure, and it’s definitely a loss that she has passed away now, but like I said, her legacy will continue to live on in many ways, but including in reading."
Parton was a songstress who captured the world's imagination and a philanthropist who ensured the next generation could read about it.
Founded in 1995, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has gifted more than 332,000,000 books to children worldwide, according to the foundation's website.
Reeves said, “Her acting, her songwriting, her show business, her act - everything that’s Dolly’s done will let her be the legend that she is all of our lives. I’m glad to have known and met her. The world is blessed with the presence of Dolly Parton.”
