6 badass Dolly Parton facts, including her surprising role on a popular Canadian series
Country icon Dolly Parton passed away on Aug. 25 at the age of 80 after a brief battle with cancer, her publicist confirmed.
In addition to her powerhouse vocals, Parton had the brightest smile, the most infectious laugh, and the highest hair (the closer to God, sheād insist).
Always decked out in rhinestones, feathers, or fringe, Parton would famously say, āIt costs a lot of money to look this cheap.ā
But while on the outside she shined, quite literally, like a diamond, inside she had a heart of gold and lived quite a badass life despite her humble upbringing, growing up poor in Tennessee, sharing a tiny log cabin with her parents and 11 siblings.
As the world mourns the loss of not just an American country singer but a prolific, empathetic philanthropist, letās look back on Partonās legacy and all the things she did that made her a total badass.
She helped fund a COVID-19 vaccine
No one really knew just how bad things would get when the COVID-19 pandemic first broke out in 2020. Millions of people would ultimately lose their lives to the virus, as misinformation, conspiracy theories, and vaccine skepticism spread quickly.
Parton refused to sit on the sidelines.
In April 2020, she donated $1 million of her own money to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to support urgent COVID-19 research. That research helped contribute to the development of Modernaās vaccine, one of the first COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the U.S., which many Canadians would eventually get doses of.
In true Dolly fashion, she didnāt just fund the research. In 2021, she rolled up her sleeve and got the vaccine herself.
Dolly gets a dose of her own medicine. @VUMChealth pic.twitter.com/38kJrDzLqC
ā Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) March 2, 2021
She penned two of her biggest hits in a matter of days
While many of us struggle to answer a couple of emails in a single workday or finish a few chores on the weekend, Parton was a busy bee, churning out some of her most iconic work.
The singer-songwriter famously wrote āJoleneā and āI Will Always Love Youā within a very short span of time. Meanwhile, the latter song would go on to become a massive hit for the late Whitney Houston on The Bodyguard soundtrack.
For decades, it was believed it was all completed within 24 hours; however, Parton later debunked the rumour on Clubhouse. āThat could have been a few days apart,ā she said. āThey were certainly written within a very short span of time.ā
Still, seldom do we hear of artists creating two masterpieces in such a short stretch. Only Dolly could pull that off!
She created a library to promote literacy
Parton would likely argue that thereās nothing more badass than reading.
She left a lasting legacy through her activism and commitment to childrenās literacy. Inspired by her own fatherās inability to read and write, she launched Imagination Library in her home state of Tennessee. The program gifts children under the age of five one free book every month, at no cost to their families.
Parton later wrote on the organizationās official website: āBefore he passed away, my Daddy told me the Imagination Library was probably the most important thing I had ever done. I canāt tell you how much that meant to me.ā
In 2006, Parton would go on to expand Imagination Library to Canada. Since then, more than three million books have been gifted to children across the country, contributing to a total of 120 million free books worldwide.
She appeared on iconic Canadian series āMagic School Busā
If you were a ā90s kid or a slightly older Gen Xer, you know exactly what The Magic School Bus is. The beloved animated series, co-produced by Canadian animation company Nelvana, first aired on TVO in 1995 and later aired regularly on CBC.Ā
The series followed quirky teacher Ms. Frizzle (voiced by Lily Tomlin, Parton’s 9 to 5 co-star) and her students as they embarked on zany field trips on a shape-shifting school bus, including outer space, the Cretaceous period, and even inside someoneās own digestive system.Ā
In a special holiday episode that first aired in 1996, Parton voiced Ms. Frizzleās cousin Murph, who owned a recycling plant that the students explored before the start of Christmas break. Parton likely didnāt record her audio in Canada, but we canāt help but marvel at her connection to one of the most nostalgic shows from our childhood.Ā
Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton behind the scenes of The Magic School Bus pic.twitter.com/PQBaXNdj2O
ā Lily Tomlin Archives (@LTomlinArchives) August 3, 2025
She chose not to be a billionaire
Between her music, movies, and business ventures like Dollywood, Parton is estimated to be worth $650 million, but her consistent generosity may be the reason she never joined the billionaires club.
Sheās given cash to students for graduating high school, funded college scholarships, helped families whose homes were devastated by natural disasters, and donated millions to hospitals and medical research. And thatās barely scratching the surface.
Outlets including Billboard have chronicled her long list of good deeds, while content creator Women Build Wealth summed it up perfectly: āParton keeps giving away the money that could make her a billionaire.ā
Parton never seemed interested in accumulating more wealth like the Bezos and Musks of the world. āI think itās important for everyone to do their share to help their fellow man,ā she once said.
She made her fortune and then shared it with the people who needed it. And honestly, thatās incredibly badass.
She helped turn āBuffy the Vampire Slayerā into an iconic show
Until her passing on Aug. 25, not that many people were aware that Parton was an uncredited producer on one of the most influential shows in the world.
Parton co-founded Sandollar Productions with her former manager Sandy Gallin, and the company helped produce all seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which ran from 1997 to 2003, as well as the spin-off series, Angel.
Buffy star Sarah Michelle Gellar confirmed this interesting factoid on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2023, even saying that she would often receive Christmas gifts from the country queen.
Even while she was busy recording music and building her business empire, Parton still found time to quietly help bring a groundbreaking supernatural series about a blonde woman kicking monstersā asses in Hollywood ā and never asking for any credit, mind you ā at a time when strong female leads were still few and far between.
If you have a fun fact about Dolly Parton, weād love to hear it. Share yours in the comments below as we mourn the loss of a true legend.