......... In 1991, Dolly Parton made an startling offer to every seventh and eighth-grade student in Sevier County, Tennessee where she grew up: the world-famous singer would personally give them $500 each if they graduated high school. The children had to pick a buddy to hold each other accountable; if one didn’t graduate, the other wouldn’t get the cash. But the idea worked: the county’s high school dropout rate plummeted from 35% to 6%. ..........

..........   She told People in 2021: “I’m kind of addicted to the feeling of giving. Knowing that I’m doing something good for someone else.”

Dolly Parton’s family say goodbye in video message
Parton’s family has encouraged fans to honour her legacy by donating to the Imagination Library, her charity that sends children around the world a free book every month from birth until they turn five. More than 300M books have been sent to children since 1995; last year alone, the Imagination Library sent a book to a child the equivalent of one every 0.78 seconds.       ...........