Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday in Nashville at 80, left two very different marks on Newport: a single surprise appearance at Fort Adams that people still talk about, and a program that has quietly mailed books to thousands of local children every month for six years.
Her family asked that donations be made in her memory to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library — the program that has operated in Newport County since 2020.
The 2019 festival
Parton had never played the Newport Folk Festival in its 60 years when she walked onstage at Fort Adams State Park on July 27, 2019.
The set was listed on the schedule only as “♀♀♀♀: The Collaboration.” Brandi Carlile, who curated it, kept the lineup secret until she was onstage. After bringing up Sheryl Crow, Judy Collins, Maren Morris, Amanda Shires, Natalie Hemby, Lucy Dacus, Jade Bird and others, Carlile introduced Parton, who emerged in a golden-yellow pantsuit embroidered with roses and sequined wagon wheels.
“Me and Rhode Island have a lot in common,” Parton told the crowd. “We’re little, but we’re loud, and we do big things.”
She sang “Eagle When She Flies” and “Just Because I’m a Woman,” told the story behind “Jolene,” and performed “I Will Always Love You” as a duet with Carlile. The set closed with the full group on “9 to 5.”
What’s Up Newp called it the big surprise of the festival’s second day at the time. Carlile later told Variety the arrangement had been “touch and go for a long time” — she didn’t know for certain Parton would appear until days before.
The festival marked her death Wednesday by sharing video of the performance. “Eternally thankful that Dolly Parton joined us in 2019,” it wrote. “It’s a moment we will never forget. And grateful to Brandi for making it happen.”
The books
The other Newport connection arrives in mailboxes.
Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1995, inspired by her father’s inability to read and write. The program mails a free, hand-selected, age-appropriate book each month to registered children from birth to age five. It now operates in the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
The program came to Newport County in April 2020, hosted at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center and fully funded by the Bazarsky Family Foundation. Any child in Newport, Middletown, Portsmouth, Tiverton, Little Compton or Jamestown is eligible from birth to their fifth birthday, regardless of household income.
“Census data tells us there are over 3,500 children aged 5 and under in Newport County. We hope to enroll 100%,” Carol Bazarsky, co-founding trustee of the foundation, said of the program’s launch. “As a former educator, I can speak to the importance of books and reading for all children, especially the very young. Just having books in the home increases literacy rates.”
More than 5,000 Newport County children have received books through the program, the MLK Center said Wednesday.
“Beyond her incredible musical legacy, she leaves the lasting impact of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library,” the center wrote. “Dolly’s generosity inspired the Bazarsky Family Foundation to bring the program to the MLK. Thank you, Dolly. The world will never forget you.”
Parents and guardians can register at imaginationlibrary.com.
