LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX News) — Long before tributes poured in honoring Dolly Parton’s decades of music and philanthropy, the country music icon stood before a packed crowd in Lexington celebrating an achievement she once described as one of her proudest accomplishments.
Parton visited the Lyric Theatre in 2024 to mark a milestone for her Imagination Library program: participation in all 120 Kentucky counties.
“It’s good to be in Kentucky. I love Kentucky. It’s just up the road from us,” Parton told the audience during the event.
The singer delighted the crowd with an acappella rendition of her signature song, “Coat of Many Colors,” before turning attention to the literacy initiative that has become one of her most enduring legacies.
Founded in 1995 in honor of her father, Lee Parton, the Imagination Library provides free books each month to children from birth until they begin kindergarten. The program has since distributed more than 240 million books worldwide, helping encourage a love of reading among young children.
During her Lexington appearance, Parton told attendees that the Imagination Library ranked among the most meaningful accomplishments of her career.
“Of course I want to be known as a songwriter and a singer, but I honestly can say that the Imagination Library has meant as much, if not more, to me than nearly anything that I’ve ever done, certainly anything that I do in my charity work,” Parton said.
The event also featured a special recognition from Gov. Andy Beshear, who honored Parton with the title of Kentucky Colonel, the highest honor a Kentucky governor can bestow upon a civilian.
“And I believe it’s time for Dolly Parton to become our newest Kentucky colonel,” Beshear announced to applause from the crowd.
Parton accepted the recognition with her trademark humor and humility.
“Thank you so much,” she said. “Oh, look at that. Is somebody taking a picture of that?”
For many Kentuckians, the event served as a celebration not only of Parton’s music and celebrity, but of a literacy program that has touched families in every corner of the Commonwealth. Her appearance in Lexington highlighted a commitment to children and education that extended far beyond the stage.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Board and Staff of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Kentucky put out this statement
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of our founder and inspiration, Dolly Parton. We were so proud to realize her dream of the Imagination Library across the entire Commonwealth, and we will forever be grateful that she came to celebrate with us in 2024. She leaves a legacy unlike any other in American life, and it will live on every time a Kentucky child receives her gift of reading."
Evelyn Schultz is committed to covering the stories that matter to you. If you have an idea, please reach out to Evelyn at evelyn.schultz@wlex.tv
