Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics – Dolly Parton and Robert K. Oermann
Given her decades in the public eye, the name “Dolly Parton” will undoubtedly lead to some wistful memory about the multi-hyphenate world treasure — and here’s mine.
Of course, I knew about Dolly Parton long before I obtained my first boyfriend at 23-years-old, but I didn’t really know about Dolly Parton. Twelve years my senior, he and I were of different generations — something my youthful optimism didn’t think would be an issue, but it would ultimately become our undoing.
He had a deep love of Dolly. On the outside, the appreciation was comical and almost stereotypical of a gay man of a certain age. It was marked by the cardboard cutout of Dolly in all her tall hair and rhinestone glory that would make an appearance during get-togethers, and the classic country karaoke that would inevitable lead to a duet of “Islands in the Stream” after a couple glasses of wine.
But this love was more than camp. It was passed down from his recently deceased mother. So, when Dolly’s greatest hits found their way into the CD player, I knew it wasn’t just an appreciation for her music that fueled the umpteenth play but rather a grasp to keep her memory close.
Through him I learned to appreciate Dolly’s songwriting and back catalog, and all the ways in which she dedicated her life to others. Her successes as an astute businesswoman, and importantly to us, an early proponent of gay rights. We named a puppy Jolene in her honor, and one of the last good days we had together as a couple was seeing her in concert in 2008.
In many ways, Dolly was the patron saint of our relationship — a constant presence that was there for all the ups and downs. She saw me experience my first true love and my first real heartbreak. I can’t listen to Dolly without thinking of that time in my life. She is the perfect soundtrack for memories.
And, memories are what “Songteller” is all about.
The mythos of Dolly has been explored recently through podcasts and documentaries — and some of that is rehashed here — but first and foremost this is about her first love, music, and hearing firsthand what prompted her to write, as she says, about every emotion under the sun.
About 100 songs are covered, which means her biggest hits are reflected but also a lot of deep cuts that the casual, or even somewhat obsessive fan, may be surprised to know existed.
While we never hear the questions, the audiobook was clearly a Q&A between Dolly and her co-author. This allows for off-the-cuff banter and for Dolly’s radiant and charming personality to shine — seriously, there is something almost therapeutic about listening to her talk — but it also means the story is disjointed.
While it traces the trajectory of her career, the structure is more topical than linear, so it is at times repetitive or edited in a way where it assumes the listener already has knowledge of a situation or person.
However, these are minor criticisms for a memoir that helps further capture the “why” behind Dolly. While she will be remembered for many things, she says the two most important to her are the songs and her charity, the Imagination Library.
At only five hours, I’d encourage anyone to listen to “Songteller,” but it’s probably best suited for fans rather than casual observers of the superstar.
Rating (story): 4/5 stars
Rating (narration): 4/5
Formats: Audiobook (library loan)
Dates read: May 24 - 26, 2021
Multi-tasking: Good to go. I primarily rode my bike and cleaned the house.
