What Dolly Parton taught a middle-class Malay boy


Photo: Reuters

SHOCKING, though not entirely unexpected, Dolly Parton’s death marks the end of an extraordinary life that touched millions far beyond the world of country music.

I first noticed Parton during the 1990s when entertainment magazines highlighted her as the composer of Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You. With tabloids aggressively publishing pictures of her as a voluptuous siren with an over-the-top image, I thought she was simply another seasoned Hollywood star with a ridiculous look.

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Dolly Parton

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