Cities across US announce 25 September as ‘Dolly Parton Appreciation Day’
Dolly Parton (Getty Images)
Cities across the United States have come together to mark a special, new day in the calendar, in honour of the late icon, Dolly Parton.
25 September has been officially declared as ‘Dolly Parton Appreciation Day’ in New York, New Orleans and Lexington, Kentucky, as well as in multiple counties in Dolly’s home region of East Tennessee, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
The ‘9/25’ date is of course a nod to Dolly’s 1980 hit, ‘9 to 5’, which was recorded for the comedy film of the same name and subsequent TV series.
Dolly wrote the song herself, with the single garnering several Academy Award nominations and wins, including Best Country Song and Best Country Vocal Performance, Female at the 24th Annual Grammy Awards.
The day itself honours the country star’s massive contribution to music, entertainment and philanthropy, with official celebrations on the day expected to include city-wide parades and musical performances.
Dolly’s legacy is also recognised on her birthday, 19 January, in Tennessee. While in Nashville back in 2019, 5 August was declared as Dolly Parton Day to recognise her legendary career.
The late star passed away on 25 August 2026 at the age of 80 years old, after a brief battle with cancer.
She was an avid, long-time supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, championing same-sex marriage, defending transgender Americans and embracing drag culture.
Dolly famously said: “If I hadn’t been a woman, I’d have been a drag queen,” and has openly expressed her support for marriage equality, coupled with that classic humour fans all know and love, adding: “I think everyone should be with who they love. I don’t want to be controversial or stir up a bunch of trouble but people are going to love who they are going to love. I think gay couples should be allowed to marry. They should suffer just like us heterosexuals.”
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