James E. Akenson
You never know. My friend Pat Quillen likes to quote a baseball legend Yogi Berra who said “I can sum it up in two words. You never know.” That’s off by 50% but nevertheless it’s true. You never know. We just got through the Christian based holiday season, then New Years, and now we’re ‘ginnin’….as they say down South… way into January. Willie Nelson was right “Funny how time slips away.”
So what is it you ask that is unexpected. What on earth could the title of this piece “2 Cubed x10=More Dolly and TheoDollyGy”? Well let’s say that Dolly Parton is virtually always in the news. That doesn’t explain the ‘You never know” unexpected or the title of this ditty. Let’s start with Christmas. LP (Life Partner) Mickie went ‘whole hog.’ She unexpectedly gifted me “Dolly Parton Star of the Show: My Life On Stage” It just wasn’t the edition for ordinary folks…it was “The Deluxe Edition.”
Take a look at the pic. Now that IS classy. How about Gilded edges on the pages? How about “Gorgeous, enhanced cover with upgraded special effects”? How about “Satin ribbon marker”? How about “Three 8×10 inch-color prints”? And…no…the 8×10 isn’t the link to the title! And last, but certainly not least, how about “inspired by Star of the Show, enclosed in an envelope?”
No wonder LP Mickie forked over $100 US. Thank goodness we don’t live in the 51st state of Donald Trump (a.k.a.Canada) as it would have been $132. Take a look at each of the special pics. And…take a look at me on Christmas morning with my new Dolly treasure. Unexpected, for sure, and typical that Dolly keeps being visible in the news and every possible media source.
“Star of the Show” looks like a ‘coffee table book.’ That is, of course, for those few folks who buy‘real’ books anymore and actually keep them out for others to see. It’s a bit more than a coffee table book though. It’s more than the sum of its many full and double-page photos. It has elements that really interest me. And…it’s remarkably thorough. What makes it thorough?
Well…how about a series of comprehensive timeline beginning with 1946-1967 and ending with 2016 and Beyond? How about eight pages listing all her known appearances from 1957-2025? How about four pages of all of Dolly’s albums? How about a full page of all of Dolly’s videos? That’s a good bit of detail that goes beyond all the regular text of “Star Of The Show” describing Dolly’s life. I can even see some research professors turning it all into a big data base to analyze with fancy statistical programs. Wonder if they’ll learn more than what is already known?
Thoroughness doesn’t completely describe everything that I find interesting in “Star of The Show.” Two things particularly interested me. First, what will Dolly reveal about her religious background and how it shapes her thoughts today? After all, Dolly grew up in the Bible Belt with its strong Evangelical Protestant traditions based upon salvation through accepting Jesus as Savior. Yet, Dolly often comes across more accepting than many conservative Evangelical Protestants. You know, Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, and Church of Christ. She has a considerable fanbase among the LGBTQ community.
Second, there is always the Porter Wagoner era of Dolly’s life. How would Dolly describe the Porter Wagoner years and the breakup from him? Just how detailed and what tone would her description take. The Porter Wagoner years certainly helped launch Dolly’s career. Parting ways with her family band also could be a bit of a sticky wicket if she included it…and…she did.
It’s never been a secret that Dolly grew up in rural East Tennessee in Locust Ridge in a classic setting for a Country Music Artist. Dolly makes clear that she grew up with “…songs about hard wokin’ people in the backwoods. Life, love, broken hears, God, poverty, family, and moonshine—we sang about it all.” She began writing songs at age five with “Little Tiny Tasseltop.” Dolly “saw myself as a musical evangelist in training…”
Her grandfather was a “hellfire-and-brimstone Pentecostal preacher.” Significantly, Dolly indicates that “His version of spirituality wasn’t necessarily for me” yet mentions “I’m still very much a believer and always have been.” She sees “my relationship with God a little differently.” In an abandoned chapel Dolly sang and talked directly to God….prayed?… and “…realized I didn’t feel I need a preacher to communicate for me.” There for me is a significant cue that Dolly would blend her Conservative Evangelical Protestant heritage with some thoughts more inclusive and less judgemental. Perhaps there is a TheoDollyGy…a religious and philosophical mind set Dolly developed.
In the later pages of “Star of the Show” Dolly does reveal a touch more of her TheoDollyGy. Dolly shares that she lives by her gut. She call it “The God gut” that is connected to prayer. She states “I’m not a religious fanatic” and she doesn’t go to church. She does “believe in a higher wisdom and a higher power.”
My interpretation of TheoDollyGy is somewhat like what I feel about myself. Here it is TheoDollyGy 101. It’s based on “Star of the Show” plus reading, listening, and watching Dolly through the years. TheoDollyGy 101 thinks Dolly would say “I believe in a God that rules the universe. I still love Jesus. I’m grateful for all I learned singing in church and learning what God did through Jesus. I believe that you can talk directly to God. The Almighty made all sorts of people who are worthwhile. We should learn to appreciate the differences. There might be multiple ways to get to heaven. You don’t have to be a faithful church member to reach the kingdom of heaven.” Maybe I’m right. Maybe I’m partially right. Maybe I’m way off base. But that’s my interpretation of Dolly’s theological view.
The Porter Wagoner relationship was the other element of “Star of the Show” that intrigued me. It created a lot of interest at the time of the breakup. What would Dolly say? How would she say it? I’m impressed. Dolly did a fine balancing act. She admits to the tensions in the relationship with Porter but appreciates the impact of the Porter years on her career. I like statements like “I will always love Porter Wagoner,” “..it also taught me a few things that I did not want to do..,” “Our working relationship was complicated by the differences in our ages..,” “…trying to grow …when he takes everything as a threat…if you’re getting more attention..,” and “I wrote ‘I Will Always Love You’ as a way of saying goodbye to Porter.
Dolly admitted to the positives and negatives of The Porter Years without giving detailed examples of the conflicts with Porter. Likewise, the parting with various bands, particular her family members in the “Travelling Family Band” reflects hard decisions but doesn’t include details of the breakup. Dolly indicates she was “ready to expand my sound…” and “..some of them were ready for their own next adventures.” Dolly admits that “…you have to make some hard decisions…”. Very clear, but the nitty gritty details don’t come through.
So…I really enjoyed “Star of the Show” But…it doesn’t explain the title. Well, Dolly news of all sorts keeps on coming. The 8th of January may be an old fiddle tune and Elvis’s birthday. January 19 is Dolly’s birthday. 2026 meant it was Dolly’s 80th birthday. 2 Cubed equals 8. Multiply 8×10 and you get 80. All over Facebook and other media sources Dolly’s 80th Birthday received attention. The Governor of Tennessee signed a Dolly Parton Day Proclamation.
That’s news! Her 80th Birthday came at a time of continued news regarding health challenges and her being unable to be at her Opry celebration or other performances. The publication of “Star of the Show” and my Christmas present is continuing news. Other books on Dolly keep coming like “Ain’t Nobody’s Fool” by Martha Ackmann. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum just hosted a special panel discussion on Dolly. She keeps on being news to me. News to everyone.
As she enters her eighth decade and appears challenged by health problems we should reflect. “Dolly Parton Star of the Show: My Life on Stage” offers a positive account of a remarkable life from East Tennessee poverty to iconic cultural status. The story is Dolly’s to tell…with Tom Roland…but it acknowledges conflicts and triumphs. It doesn’t tell all the nitty gritty details that might enhance or tarnish Dolly’s image.
Since no person, group, or institution is perfect, we can say that Dolly’s positive contributions to music, to a host of people, and to institutions is remarkable. She doesn’t tell all the negatives, but she does share that conflict existed in her life. 2 Cubed x 10 suggests that consistency focus, work, and talent can make remarkable contributions and leave a legacy rarely reached by even the most powerful and successful on the world stage.
Wish that Dolly could have another 2 Cubed x10 years to be “Star of the Show.”
