You Might Be Right has released a special episode reflecting on Dolly Parton’s impact on Tennessee, her philanthropy and her ability to bring people together.
The episode features former Tennessee Governors Phil Bredesen and Bill Haslam, who both worked closely with Dolly as her Imagination Library programme expanded from Sevier County to all 95 counties across Tennessee.
Dolly herself explains in the episode that the Imagination Library came from her desire to encourage children to read, saying: “I just never dreamed that so many other generous souls like Rotaries, United Way, the state of Tennessee, foundations, you name it, would invest their hard earned dollars into this effort.”
She adds that the programme has given away 20 million books since it began, describing the scale of the project as “a mighty big family and a mighty big responsibility.”
The governors also discuss what made Dolly such a widely respected figure across political and social divides, with Phil Bredesen pointing to her humility and willingness to accept people as they are.
He recalls her saying: “I’m not a good enough Christian to be judging other people. That’s God’s job,” adding that adopting that attitude could make politics a better place.
Bill Haslam says Dolly’s grace had a contagious quality, while Bredesen describes her as someone who led by example rather than preaching to others.
Haslam recalls joining Dolly in a 2014 parade at Dollywood during his re-election campaign, where he found himself largely overlooked as crowds turned their attention to the singer.
He says the event brought together a gospel music audience and an LGBT audience, both of whom were huge fans of Dolly, describing her ability to appeal across communities as “truly unique”.
The former governors also reflect on Dolly’s business skills, with Bredesen recalling a meeting where he watched her ask several focused questions before turning down a business proposal.
He describes the experience as a “masterclass in business negotiation”, while Haslam says Dolly understood her personal brand better than anyone, he had encountered in public life.
Her generosity is another major theme, including her response to the Gatlinburg fires, when she helped raise money and personally invested her time in supporting people affected by the disaster.
The episode also features lighter memories, including Bredesen recalling how Dolly teased him after he sang during a public service announcement, suggesting his day job should remain being governor rather than pursuing show business.
Haslam remembers Dolly taking a hairbrush from her stylist to do his wife Crissy’s hair, while another story recalls thousands of people wanting photographs with Dolly at an event in Sevier County.
As the conversation turns back to the message behind You Might Be Right, both governors identify humility as one of the biggest lessons they took from knowing Dolly.
Bredesen says she recognised “great worth in everyone” and respected other people’s views about how they wanted to live, while Haslam says humility means being willing to listen because “I might be wrong about this.”
The special episode closes with Bredesen describing Dolly’s life as an example of serving others rather than simply preaching about how people should behave.
He says: “The thing to do is to live your life as you would like to teach others to live as opposed to preaching about it and being judgmental.”
The episode is available here.
