why do you like dolly parton?!

annoyingly, i get this question when the fact that i like dolly comes up and/or i blurt out how great she is. the question is usually followed by 'i wouldn't picture/imagine YOU as a dolly fan'...emphasis on you

i always assume people question my like bc i'm black or young... probably a lil bit of both. i was talkin to my mentor last weekend about how i wanted to go to ny for the 9 to 5 opening, & even he was shocked! he used to be my 10th grade marketing teacher so he knows a lot about me/seen me grow etc. but guess not enough...for those who REALLY know me there shouldn't be any surprise that i like dolly bc i'm in LOOOOVE w/ music.

anywho to the matter at hand. why i like her:

• she's honest about the work she's had done... regardless of if you like how she looks or not, she does & she pays for it, so what can you really say?
• she's made somethin outta nothin. she came from very humble beginnings to super successful with a charity, amusement park, business, etc... most importantly never forgot where she came from & gives back
• she's 63 & still energetic, relevant & an all around entertainer w/ a capital "e"
• her sense of humor is great! can't remember which magazine now, but she was voted the most quotable women like 1 or 2 years ago
• she's been married to her husband for 43 yrs! i think that's crazy, especially how high profile she is (but i guess bc he's super low profile it balances out)
• most people who have somethin to say about her only know her by her cleavage & have never heard a single song. her fast songs are fun, but i like her slow songs better bc they're more soulful. also, lyrically she's very solid (i.e. backwoods barbie lyrics). whether she's doing a silly, down home act or changing her voice to sound like a little girl or incorporating a gospel twang thing, it always comes off right & works well for her.
• think she's strong. regardless of the crap people talk about her, she doesn't change & she continues to work hard, write, sing, act, compose, etc... and at the end of the day you have to respect her.

hmmm those are the first things that come to mine. i encourage all to listen to some of her songs before judging her. wikipedia will handle the rest!

ps- i like johnny cash too. don't think folks know that, wonder if i'd get the same "YOU like HIM" response?!