Goodbye, Dolly
A REASON TO SMILE
BY DAN RATHER AND TEAM STEADY
Folks often ask me who my favorite interview was over the more than 75 years I have been asking people questions. Without hesitation, my answer is, was, and will remain Dolly Parton.
I have lost count, but I believe I had the privilege of sitting down with her eight times, more than any other public person. She was always engaging and intelligent. She had a wicked sense of humor and made you feel like you were the only person in the world who mattered. But that didn’t mean she made it easy. You had to work to get her to open up.
The last time I sat down with her was in 2014 for a career-spanning interview. She was classic Dolly: all smiles and light, peppered with wisdom and insight.
Dolly was so gifted at lifting people up; she and her music were featured as a Reason to Smile six times. I think that’s a record. It is heartbreaking that we are honoring her a seventh time. Since we previously chose my favorite Dolly song, “I Will Always Love You” (her version), for today’s Reason to Smile, we decided on a song with a theme many of us are feeling, “Just When I Needed You Most.”
You left us, Dolly, just when we needed you most.
Rest in peace my friend. We will always love you.
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Stay Steady,
Dan
NYA Thanks Dan Rather and Team Steady!