She looked extraordinary, she sounded incredible and she wrote some of the most iconic songs of our time. What's more, she had a huge heart and was generous, honest, wise and charming.
This is the consensus of opinion towards the legend of country music that was Dolly Parton who sadly died this week.
Certainly we're all aware of her impact through a songlist that includes 'Jolene', '9 to 5', 'I Will Always Love You' and 'Coat of Many Colors', displaying huge range and musicality but also profound and powerful storytelling. She's believed to have written more than 3,000 songs.
She was able to make quips about her looks - 'it costs a lot of money to look this cheap' - but it was clear that 'she was the smartest person in the room', always in control, being determined and driven in her goals to succeed, seeking to make a difference and bring hope and joy to others, and having a strong faith and moral code.
She never lost sight of where she'd come from and sought to help others realise their own dreams in life.
Through scholarships, disaster relief funding, donations to medical research and healthcare, and her Imagination Library, founded in memory of her father who couldn't read, she made a huge contribution to the lives of people throughout the world who were struggling with poverty, hardship and deprivation.
She gifted some 300 millions of books to children, choosing Rotherham as the town where she launched her Imagination Library in Britain in 1995. The scheme saw books posted to children each month of their life until they're five years old.
To recognise something of the legacy of this formidable and inspiring woman, buildings in New York were lit up in pink on the news of her death and, for Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace, the Coldstream Guards played '9 to 5'.
Though it's very sad that she's no longer with us, let's hope her example will live on. She shared some unforgettable lines to inspire and encourage...
'If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain'.
'Don't get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.'
'If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.'
'I always just thought if you see somebody without a smile, give 'em yours!'
There are many, many more. She certainly had a way with words.
'I hope that when my time comes,' she said, 'I'll leave something behind that others can use to lift themselves up.'
Thank you for reading.
