[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 22724]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO DOLLY PARTON

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, a few days ago, an extraordinary 
Tennessean, Dolly Parton, received one of the 2006 Kennedy Center 
Honors. As a singer, a songwriter, an actress, a television producer, 
and an entrepreneur, she has emerged as one of the preeminent cultural 
figures of our era. Her life story, her talent, and her rise to success 
can serve as an inspiration for all Americans.
  Dolly Parton, in fact, could turn out to be the last prominent 
American actually born in a log cabin. She was born at home on January 
19, 1946. Growing up, by her own description, ``dirt poor,'' in east 
Tennessee's town of Sevierville, her family of 14 lived in a hand-built 
log house. She discovered her gift for singing in church, gave public 
performances before she turned 10, recorded her first tracks at age 12, 
and appeared at the Grand Ole Opry at 13. Well-known country artists 
recorded her original compositions before she turned 20. Her own 
recordings hit the country charts for the first time with the song 
``Dumb Blonde'' in 1966. Today, she has recorded more No. 1 Billboard 
hits than any other female artist ever and received 25 gold, platinum, 
and multiplatinum honors. She has been awarded a star on the Hollywood 
Walk of Fame, seven Grammy Awards, and two Oscar nominations. Her 
unique personal style and her sense of humor have influenced Americans 
across the country.
  Since 1986, her theme park, Dollywood, has generated thousands of 
jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars of investment in the Great 
Smokey Mountains. As one of the most visited theme parks in the 
country, Dollywood now serves as an economic anchor for east Tennessee. 
Today, a statue of her sits Sevierville's town square. She has also 
given back: Her Imagination Library charitable program has shared her 
love of reading with millions of children around the United States.
  Dolly Parton stands as one of the most influential living 
Tennesseans. We all owe her a debt of gratitude.
  I must close in expressing my strong agreement with sentiments about 
her own musical genre: ``If you talk bad about country music, it's like 
saying bad things about my momma. Them's fightin' words.''
  Dolly Parton: I thank you. America thanks you.

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