California leads in dedicating September 25 as annual Dolly Parton Day in honor of the American icon’s legacy of love

SAN FRANCISCO — American country music legend Dolly Parton died on August 25 at the age of 80 after a brief battle with cancer. For over a month since then, people globally continue to mourn her passing and remember her remarkable legacy as a music superstar with selfless love for children through promoting reading via her Imagination Library, which mails free books to millions of children monthly.

California led the way becoming the first state to dedicate September 25 as the annual Dolly Parton Day under Senate Bill 931. New York State and more jurisdictions at state and local levels nationwide followed, designating September 25 as Dolly Parton Day to pay tribute to her lifelong accomplishments in music and philanthropy, including the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library which she founded in 1995 and has served over 3.1 million young children with a total of 34 million books gifted.

Parton is the songwriter of "I Will Always Love You"

The choice of September 25 is a numerical reference, "9-2-5," to her iconic hit song and film "9 to 5," in which Parton starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. The film was premiered in December 1980.

In addition to the popular song from the comedy film "9 to 5," which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won two Grammy Awards, Parton wrote famous songs like "Jolene" in 1973 and "I Will Always Love You" in 1974.

She was the original singer of "I Will Always Love You" recorded in 1973 and released in 1974. Parton wrote the song as a farewell, expressing gratitude to her business partner and mentor Porter Wagoner, who had decided to pursue a solo career.

"I Will Always Love You" was a commercial success for Parton in the 1970s, according to the Wikipedia. The song twice reached the top spot of the US Billboard Hot Country Songs. Whitney Houston recorded the song for the 1992 film "The Bodyguard," which brought it to the peak at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for a then-record-breaking 14 weeks. Houston's version was an enormous worldwide success, with over 24 million single album copies sold globally.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library founded and launched in 1995

SB 931 was co-authored by California State Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) and State Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) on September 1, a week after Parton's passing. It proclaims September 25 ("9-2-5") as Dolly Parton Day in California to honor her lasting significant impact on California and communities worldwide. Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 931 into law on September 21.

Back in 2022, Grove introduced SB 1183 with then Senate President pro tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) to create bipartisan legislation in partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to establish California’s first statewide program. The legislation received unanimously support and was signed by Newsom.

When Grove and Atkins co-authored SB 1183 in 2022, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program was available in over 40 locations across 20 counties in California. Under SB 1183, the California State Library began bringing the free monthly book program to all young children in the state.

Also under SB 1183, the State Library provides a dollar-for-dollar match to help local organizations or cities partnering with the Imagination Library sign up more kids to receive books regardless of income or background.

“Dolly Parton has a remarkable ability to bring people together, and her heart for children and literacy is one of the greatest parts of her legacy,” Grove said when she announced SB 931 on September 1 to proclaim Dolly Parton Day.

“The Imagination Library has given thousands of California children the opportunity to discover a lifelong love of reading, and I am incredibly proud of the work we have done to expand its reach across our state," said Grove. "It is only fitting that California now has a day to celebrate Dolly and the tremendous impact she continues to make.”

“Dolly Parton brought joy to a lot of people, but her legacy goes well beyond her music,” Senator Laird echoed. "She also led with kindness and acceptance, standing by the LGBTQ+ community and reminding people that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.”

In California, more than 182,000 children are currently registered and enrolled in the Imagination Library program, which provides full coverage in 45 of California’s 58 counties.

San Francisco has partnered with Dolly's Imagination Library since 2025

During his first year in office in 2025, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie brought the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to the city for the first time. He launched the program with the City's Early Childhood Department and the Public Library, backing it with $1 million over five years to benefit all young children in the city. The California State Library also provides a 50% cost match to support the program in San Francisco.

"We lost a legend today," Lurie said on Facebook after Parton's passing was announced. "Dolly Parton is one of one, but one thing many people don't know is that beyond her music, she also influenced so many kids' lives through her Dolly Parton's Imagination Library."

"Over 10,000 kids in San Francisco alone benefited from her literacy program. She got books into the hands of young people in San Francisco and throughout this country. So her music will live on. Her legacy lives on. We are going to miss you Dolly," Lurie said.

On September 25, San Francisco fans and supporters hosted an event to celebrate the Dolly Parton Day at Union Square in honor of Parton's life, music and legacy. Local singers gathered to sing many of Parton’s popular songs including “I Will Always Love You” during the three-hour celebration.

The San Francisco Public Library joined the celebration with a booth passing out free books to recognize Parton's legacy of helping children read from early ages.

“Dolly Parton was a light in this world—a beacon of generosity, kindness, and love for all. While we at the Library mourn her passing, we are also inspired to carry her legacy forward through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library," said Dolly Goyal, Chief of Public Services at the San Francisco Public Library.

"Through this remarkable program, every child in San Francisco under age five can sign up to receive a free, high-quality book mailed directly to their home each month. It is a powerful legacy of literacy, imagination, and opportunity that lives on in the hands of children across our city. We encourage every eligible family to sign up and help keep Dolly’s love of reading alive for generations to come,” said Goyal.

Parents in San Francisco can sign up for their young children, starting from birth, to join the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program online at https://legacy.sfdec.org/imagination-library to receive free books in their mailboxes.

Dollywood Theme Park and Dollywood Foundation established in Tennessee in 1986 and 1988 respectively

Parton was born in a one-room cabin in Pittman Center, Tennessee, to a poor family. She was the fourth of 12 children born to her parents. Her father worked in the mountains of Tennessee and later owned a small tobacco farm. He also worked construction jobs to supplement the income for the small farm and family.

Parton's earliest performances began in church and wrote her first song at age six, performed on television at age 10, and became a professional songwriter at 16. After writing songs for others, she released her debut album, “Hello, I'm Dolly," in 1967, starting her nearly 60-year multidimensional career as a singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman.

In 1986, Parton extended her business interests in the Dollywood Theme Park in Tennessee by becoming a co-owner, making it one of the best theme parks in the nation. The theme park was first founded and named Rebel Railroad in 1961. In 2022, Parton announced that the theme park would begin paying college tuition and fees for all employees who enroll in college.

At age 42 in 1988, Parton began to expand her influence to philanthropy by founding the Dollywood Foundation to improve educational outcomes among children in her home state, Tennessee.

Inspired by her father who never learned to read or write—Parton founded the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in 1995 with the goal of providing all young children the opportunity to explore the lifelong advantages of reading.

The Dolly Parton's Imagination Library was established under the Dollywood Foundation in honor of her father's illiteracy. The Imagination Library fills the gap in pre-school education for young children from birth to age 5, right before they enroll in elementary school.

The Imagination Library mails one book per month to each enrolled child from birth until they enter kindergarten at age 5. The free book program started in Tennessee and later expanded nationwide and to other countries.

Today 31 years later, the program serves children in four additional foreign countries—the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada and Australia. The program has registered over 3.1 million children gifting more than 343.5 million books.

The Dollywood Foundation has also made significant donations in healthcare and medical research, including a $1 million donation to fund the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the critical early stages of development of the Moderna vaccine during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Though often politically neutral, Parton was known for her long history of openly supporting the gay community," Wikipedia wrote on her page. Parton publicly supported same-sex marriage in 2009. The Tennessee Equality Project described her as "the outsider who made it big by being herself, and leading with love".

Parton met her husband, Carl Dean, outside a laundromat in Nashville in 1964 on the very first day that Parton moved to the Capital of Tennessee. She was 18 and he was 21. They married two years later in 1966. Their marriage spanned nearly 60 years until Dean's passing on March 3, 2025.

Dean owned an asphalt-paving business in Nashville and quietly stayed out of the spotlight behind Parton, attending only one of Dolly's live performances.

The couple never had biological children due to health challenges. Parton spoke with Oprah Winfrey on her talk show in 2020 about her life with Dean. “Since I had no kids, and my husband was pretty independent, I had freedom,” Parton said. “So I think a big part of my whole success is the fact that I was free to work.”

Parton was also interviewed on the Today show in 2017, where she talked about children and her Imagination Library. “God has a plan for everything,” she said. “I think it probably was his plan for me not to have kids so everybody’s kids could be mine. And they are now.”

Following Parton's passing, her family asked fans and supporters to make donations to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in lieu of flowers. Contributions can be made online via the Imagination Library Official Website, where donors can also choose to designate funds to a local program partner in their communities.

Local partners of the Imagination Library across the country note that fundraising covers half of the ongoing book and mailing costs, as the Dollywood Foundation cannot cover all the expenses.

Local Imagination Library partners have also reported massive jumps in enrollment, website traffic and donations for her early childhood literacy program since August 25, the day that Parton passed away. Minnesota partners saw a tenfold increase in the first few days. Illinois added over 350 children. Rochester, New York, gained roughly 500 new young readers.

Two new businesses launched by Parton two months before her death

Parton never retired and continued working on new business ideas, even while battling cancer in her final months.

She made her final public appearance on June 24, two months before her death, to celebrate the opening of Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stop. The stop was designed for truck drivers, families, and travelers looking for more than a typical roadside break during a Tennessee road trip.

At the opening ceremony of the Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stop, Parton also announced her upcoming new business venture: the unveiling of her Dolly Parton's Cup of Ambition Coffee brand.

The Cup of Ambition Coffee brand officially launched in Nashville on September 29, National Coffee Day, over a month after her passing on August 25.

The Dolly Parton's Cup of Ambition Coffee is her latest business line, a dream coffee brand more than 40 years in the making, according to the brand's press release. "Developed in partnership with family-owned Community Coffee, the collection brings together Dolly’s love of coffee and unmistakable spirit in a coffee line she helped create to give coffee lovers everywhere the chance to brew a cup inspired by one of the world's most beloved icons."

On September 29, the launch date, the brand unveiled a new commercial video, which was filmed in July, one month before Parton's death. The commercial showcased Parton getting her day started with a Cup of Ambition Coffee.

The new coffee line was a collaboration with Community Coffee which has been crafting coffee since 1919. The coffee products are available for nationwide shipping on its own website, CupOfAmbition.com, and other major online retailers, including Amazon.com and Walmart.com. The profits from the new coffee line will support the Imagination Library.

Nashville International Airport to be named after Parton

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Nashville International Airport (BNA) announced their plan on August 28 to name the airport after Parton, creating a lasting tribute to her legacy and inspiration to generations across Tennessee and around the world.

Widely regarded as one of the most influential and beloved artists in American music history, Lee said Dolly’s impact extends far beyond the stage through her lifelong commitment to community service and philanthropy. Through the Dollywood Foundation and Imagination Library, she provided hundreds of millions of free books to children worldwide, promoting literacy and empowering children to reach their full potential.

"At a place where Tennessee welcomes the world, it is fitting that Nashville International Airport would bear the name of our state’s favorite daughter and greet travelers with the enduring legacy of Dolly’s music, generosity, faith, and kindness,” Lee added.