{"id":1024446,"date":"2026-08-26T03:15:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T03:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1024446\/"},"modified":"2026-08-26T03:15:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T03:15:12","slug":"she-opened-doors-in-my-life-houston-raised-singer-remembers-dolly-parton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1024446\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018She opened doors in my life\u2019: Houston-raised singer remembers Dolly Parton"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\"><strong>HOUSTON<\/strong> \u2013 Dolly Parton is being remembered not only for the songs that made her a country music icon, but also for the lives she touched along the way.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">For Houston area-raised country singer Mary Sarah, that impact began when she was just a teenager.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cI had the honor of meeting Miss Dolly Parton at the age of 15,\u201d Mary Sarah said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The young singer was working on what would eventually become her album Bridges, featuring collaborations with some of country music\u2019s biggest names. Parton was the first artist to agree to participate, joining Mary Sarah for a duet of one of her most recognizable songs, \u201cJolene.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Mary Sarah said there was something particularly meaningful about Parton\u2019s decision to help an unknown teenage artist.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 etvbxt font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\"\/><\/ul>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cA lot of people don\u2019t know this, but she didn\u2019t even get paid to do it,\u201d Mary Sarah said. \u201cI think it speaks so much into who she is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">At the time, Mary Sarah did not have a record deal or the name recognition she would later develop.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cThere was really no reason as to why Dolly would be like, \u2018This will help me,\u2019\u201d Mary Sarah said. \u201cShe just saw an artist who was striving to do something in country music and recognized the talent and said, \u2018I want to help this girl.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A last-minute trip to meet Dolly<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Mary Sarah still remembers exactly where she was when she learned Parton had said yes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">She was 15 and on a family vacation visiting her grandfather in Florida when her family got the call: Parton was available, and they needed to get to Nashville.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cI was like, \u2018Let\u2019s go, let\u2019s get some boots on,\u2019\u201d Sarah recalled.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Mary Sarah and her parents flew to Nashville, where she remembers waiting nervously before meeting one of the biggest stars in country music.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cI was on the other room just shaking in my boots,\u201d she said. \u201cAt 15, I was like, \u2018What do you even say to Dolly Parton?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Those nerves quickly disappeared.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cImmediately she made me feel like I had known her for my entire life,\u201d Mary Sarah said. \u201cAll the worries and all the nerves and all of it just flushed away.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Instead of keeping the conversation focused on music or her career, Mary Sarah said Parton talked about her family and encouraged the young singer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">It was an experience that would continue to influence Mary Sarah well into adulthood.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018She really never forgot who she was\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">One of Mary Sarah\u2019s favorite memories from their time together involved a small gift.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Mary Sarah\u2019s family gave each artist who participated in Bridges a Swarovski crystal duck chosen to match their personality.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">When Parton opened hers, Mary Sarah said the superstar immediately made a duck face and told her that her nieces and nephews loved when she did it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">For Mary Sarah, the silly moment revealed something much bigger about Parton.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cEven at that level, she really never forgot who she was,\u201d Mary Sarah said. \u201cThat to me was one of the biggest things walking away \u2014 leaning into who you are and being unapologetic about that.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 etvbxt font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\"\/><\/ul>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Sixteen years after that meeting, Mary Sarah said Parton\u2019s influence has now reached another generation of her own family.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Her 5-year-old daughter learned \u201cJolene\u201d as one of her first songs.<\/p>\n<p>Dolly Parton\u2019s legacy reaches thousands of Houston children<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Parton\u2019s influence in Houston also extends far beyond country music.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Dolly Parton\u2019s Imagination Library, which she founded in 1995, provides books to children from birth through age 5.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Dave Agerton helped launch the program locally six years ago and co-founded the independent nonprofit that operates the Greater Houston effort.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cDolly Parton started it 30 years ago, and they send three million books a month to children,\u201d Agerton said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The Houston-area program currently serves about 8,000 children, according to Agerton, and hopes to reach 10,000 this year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Parton created the Imagination Library in honor of her father, who could not read or write.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cShe wants every child in the country to be literate, to have a book, to have books in the home,\u201d Agerton said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The Greater Houston program works with community organizations including BakerRipley Early Head Start, United Way\u2019s Bright Beginnings, the Children\u2019s Learning Institute\u2019s Texas School Ready program and the Harris County Public Library to reach families.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Children enrolled in the program receive books in the mail, with families able to select English or bilingual English-Spanish options.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Agerton said the goal is particularly important for children growing up in households where books may be difficult to access.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cWe try to serve children whose families are facing poverty, and they don\u2019t have books in the home,\u201d Agerton said. \u201cPeople call them book deserts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">If you would like to register your child for the program, you can click <a href=\"https:\/\/dpilhouston.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/dpilhouston.org\/\">HERE.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Dolly Parton\u2019s music coming to Jones Hall<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Parton\u2019s music is also set to take center stage in Houston this fall.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Dolly Parton\u2019s Threads: My Songs in Symphony is scheduled to come to Jones Hall, bringing Parton\u2019s songs and the story of her life to the concert hall.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">For Mary Sarah, performances like it are another way Parton\u2019s work will continue reaching generations of listeners.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">She believes those influenced by Parton now have a role in keeping that legacy alive.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cHer artistry, her creativity, her writing, her passion for songwriting \u2014 these songs are gonna live on forever,\u201d Mary Sarah said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Parton opened a door for Mary Sarah when she was a teenage singer with no record deal and little name recognition.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">More than a decade later, she hasn\u2019t forgotten it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cShe opened doors in my life,\u201d Mary Sarah said. \u201cAnd I cannot thank her enough for it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston &#8211; All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HOUSTON \u2013 Dolly Parton is being remembered not only for the songs that made her a country 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