Book Review: Unlikely Angel

Unlikely Angel

The Songs of Dolly Parton

by Lydia R. Hamessley

University of Illinois Press

Biographies & Memoirs. |. Entertainment

Pub Date 16 Sep 2020

I am reviewing a copy of Unlikely Angel through University of Illinois Press and Netgalley:

I’n 1964 Dolly Parton went to New York with her senior class to see the hit musical Hello, Dolly! Just three years later Dolly’s first solo album was released. It was titled Hello, I’m Dolly.

Dolly was born on January 19, 1946, in Sevier County, Tennessee. When Dolly was thirteen, Uncle Bill arranged for her to cut a demo record, “Puppy Love,” a rockabilly style, bubblegum pop tune Dolly had cowritten with him two years earlier.

Dolly Parton’s success as a performer and pop culture phenomenon has overshadowed her achievements as a songwriter. But she sees herself as a songwriter first, and with good reason. Parton’s compositions like “I Will Always Love You” and “Jolene” have become American standards with an impact far beyond country music.

From an early age Dolly Parton saw herself as a songwriter more than a performer. She writes her songs from experience, leaving for deep and meaningful lyrics, which is why many of her songs top the charts.