Dolly Parton’s name is now permanently tied to a cause that was close to her heart. Dolly Parton, who grew up in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, built a philanthropic legacy that stretched far beyond her music career. Her family announced Tuesday that she had died at 80.
Her charitable work was deeply personal. Much of it was inspired by her childhood and, in particular, by watching her father, Robert Lee Parton, struggle because he never learned to read or write.
