I will always love you

Time has put Dolly Parton on its cover in honour of the woman who entertained America and the world through her songs and acting. She passed away on 25 Aug 2026.

What struck me as I read the obituary in Time was the background of her famous song ‘I will always love you.’ The song was written when she chose to end her partnership with Porter Wagoner whose syndicated country music TV show was so popular that it aired for 21 seasons from 1960 to 1981. Parton joined the show in 1967 and the duo produced songs that enthralled the whole world. Parton left the show in 1974 to pursue a solo career.  

Wagoner was furious and sued her for $3 million, claiming breach of contract. Parton agreed to pay him $1 million every year. And she did pay it for years. But the song she wrote when she decided to part ways with Wagoner became a hit. Even Wagoner broke down listening to it. [You can listen to the song here.]

The song is a bittersweet ode to selfless love, capturing the painful decision to step away from a relationship so the other person can thrive. It balances the painful necessity of saying goodbye with enduring affection, gratitude, and good wishes for their future.

Dolly Parton was good at heart. Great at heart, I’d say. In response to a question by the Time’s obituary writer once for a podcast called Dolly Parton’s America, the lady said, “I just think we need to love one another…. We need to be a little kinder…. We need to have more love and compassion.”

Parton practised what she preached. She helped a lot of people in many ways. For example, she provided $15,000 scholarships to many high school students. She made books available to children through her Imagination Library. Certain Black communities received much magnanimity from her.

I had little knowledge about her life until I read the Time obituary. I remember how my fellow college mates joked about her big breasts back in the 1980s. This obituary reminded me of that because it mentions how the world’s first cloned sheep was named after her merely because of its “large mammaries.”

She was the butt of many jokes, says the writer. But she was great. Her story, says the obituary, “is a testament to how a person of humble origins can accomplish extraordinary feats, when they pray for, write with compassion about, and take action for others.”