Happy 80th Birthday Dolly Parton

With her big hair, bigger heart, and razor-sharp wit, Dolly became a symbol of joy and self-invention, proof that glamour and goodness can share the same stage.

She is, of course, a musical legend—one of the most successful singer-songwriters of all time. Songs like “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” and “I Will Always Love You” are stitched into the emotional fabric of American life, crossing genres and generations with ease. But Dolly’s genius goes beyond melody. She writes with empathy, humor, and an unflinching understanding of women’s inner lives, class, longing, and resilience—making her both a storyteller and a truth-teller.

What sets Dolly apart, though, is how deliberately she has turned success into service. Through her  Imagination Library,  she has gifted more than 200 million books to children around the world, believing literacy is the most powerful form of hope. She has funded education, disaster relief, medical research (including early COVID-19 vaccine support), and quietly paid college tuitions and hospital bills long before philanthropy was fashionable. Dolly gives without spectacle—except for the spectacle of kindness itself.

And fittingly for a woman who blooms wherever she’s planted, Dolly’s love of flowers is literal as well as symbolic. She adores gardens and floral beauty, and in her honor an exuberant orange rose—the Dolly Parton Rose—was created, glowing with warmth, optimism, and unapologetic presence. Like Dolly herself, it’s bold, generous, and impossible to ignore. On her birthday, it feels right to celebrate her the way she lives: in full color, with open hands, and always—like a flower—turned toward the light.

The vibrant orange-toned rose was introduced in 1984, as exuberant and unforgettable as the woman it honors. The blooms are large, high-centered, and powerfully fragrant, with a spicy-sweet perfume that announces its presence before you even see it. This is not a shy flower; it’s one that enters the garden singing.

Gardeners love the rose not only for its color—often described as glowing, sunset-bright, or “technicolor orange”—but for its vigorous growth and repeat blooming.  It flowers generously throughout the season, producing long-stemmed blooms ideal for cutting, which makes it a favorite for vases as well as garden beds. Like Dolly, it’s both a showstopper and a workhorse: beautiful, resilient, and dependable.

What a role model and special person.

I especially liked how years ago,  the pint-sized superstar whose songs include “Wildflowers” and “Yellow Roses,” was the first to take part in an instagram challenge to explain social media and the idea spread like – well – wildflowers.

What can I say? Dolly always inspires. She is a do-gooder who is always blooming with love, purpose and generosity. Generations of people love her for good reason.

Jill Brooke is a former CNN correspondent, Post columnist and editor-in-chief of Avenue and Travel Savvy magazine. She is an author and the editorial director of FPD.