California makes Sept. 25 Dolly Parton Day in nod to beloved song “9 To 5”
By Jose Fabian
California Gov. Gavin Newsom officially made Sept. 25 Dolly Parton Day to honor her and as a nod to Parton’s beloved song “9 To 5”.
Parton, who died at 80 in late August, was a groundbreaking artist who built a hit-making career that spanned decades and catapulted her into TV and the big screen. She also helped children worldwide fall in love with reading through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
“We could all afford to live a little more like Dolly. Be kind, be humble, and have some fun…Be a diamond in a rhinestone world. With this bill, we are not just establishing a day to celebrate Dolly Parton, we are creating an annual reminder to us, every year, to live the way she did — joyfully, graciously, and with a whole lot of heart,” Newsom said Sunday.
Dolly Parton Day was put forward by Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, and John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, with Senate Bill 931 and signed by Newsom Sunday.
“The love Dolly gave so freely, rooted in her deep and openly shared faith, and the love the world returned to her, shows how deeply she was cherished by everyone,” Grove wrote. “I thank Governor Newsom for signing SB 931 so that every September 25th, our state will remember the legend who put millions of books in the hands of our youngest readers and inspired the world on how to respect and love one another.”
“Dolly brought joy to a lot of people, but her legacy goes well beyond her music. Through the Imagination Library, she put books into the hands of millions of children, and throughout her life she led with kindness, acceptance, and a belief that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect,” Laird wrote.
Parton died after a brief, private battle with cancer and came as a shock to countless fans.
“I was sitting in a coffee shop with my friend and we’re, like, ‘Wow they’re playing 10 Dolly Parton songs in a row,’ and then my friend looked at her phone and was,like, ‘Oh my God, Dolly died!’ and we started crying,” one fan said.
