Subtitled “My Life on Stage”, Dolly Parton considers Star of the Show to be part of a trilogy chronicling her life. The first book is Dolly Parton, Songteller: My lLife in Lyrics. The second book is Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones. The third book is Star of the Show.
No matter what you think of Dolly Parton, it’s hard not to acknowledge her as a creative genius She’s the first person to be in the Country, Rock, Gospel, and Songwriter Halls of Fame. Her career has spanned over seventy years, and she’s sold out concerts all over the world. But, she’s also a philanthropist who has given to causes that are dear to her, particularly in her home state of Tennessee. She built Dollywood. But, anyone who loves books and sees reading as fundamental to all of us, has to admire her for creating the Imagination Library. Dolly Parton’s daddy never learned to read. She put her money where her heart is, providing books to children up to age 5. By 2025, it had expanded to five countries and distributed over 270 million books. (While Ohio expanded their coverage to cover newborns, shame on Indiana for cutting funding during the last budget cycle.)
Star of the Show is a beautiful oversize book that covers Parton’s sixty-some years of performances. It includes a number of photos and artifacts from Dolly Parton’s personal collection, including stories about some of the costumes she wore.The account is broken into segments and Tom Roland composed the timeline in those sections. Those secgments include “Start of the Show, 1946-1974.” The Porter Wagoner Years were 19670-1974. From 1974 to 1980 is “Brand New Day” as Dolly Parton toured on her own with family, and then the Gypsy Fever. In those years, Parton appeared on the The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and performed for Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee in Glasgow. There are segments as she relates how she reached superstar status, then went from Hollywood to Dollywood. The book covers her career up to 2025. She discusses her favorite duet partners, talks candidly about her years with Porter Wagoner, and discusses the highlights of a lengthy career.
Of course, my favorite short section dealt with the Imagination Library and Parton’s other charities. I admire her loyalty to friends, family, and her crew over the years. I enjoyed all the photos.
Star of the Show is a hefty book. I couldn’t lay on the couch and read it; I had to sit upright in a chair. It was worth a little discomfort on my part to read about a woman who worked so hard to achieve her goals and change her world as she sees it. She did it with faith, heart, and hard work. Whether you’re a fan or not, it’s a fascinating memoir of a star who does what she can to change the world for the better.
Star of the Show: My Life on Stage by Dolly Parton with Tom Roland. Ten Speed Press, 2025. 336p.
FTC Full Disclosure – Library book
I saw this in Target yesterday! I love Dolly.
I really enjoyed this, Melissa.
I have always admired her, not just for her voice but for her gumption, and I have enormous respect for people who get wealthy and then give back! I didn’t know about all the books she’d given away–that’s wonderful.
I agree, Kim. I respect that, too. She’s actually done so much good with her money, beginning with the Imagination Library. She gave over a million dollars when they were developing the COVID vaccine. And, she did a fundraiser when a fire devastated part of Tennessee.