The Only Right Answer to “Who Is The Next Dolly Parton?”

Random Notes 82 Comments


This question was inevitable in the passing of Dolly Parton on August 25th. And the only logical conclusion is “nobody.”

The reason the entire world mourned the death of a poor girl from east Tennessee is because she grew up to be like nobody else, and touched the world in irrevocable ways that nobody else could. And what hurts us most about Dolly’s passing is that her presence will never be replaced. It’s only the yearning, the inspiration to become as good and as Dolly that we can pursue. And pursue that objective we must, not as a projection onto some other celebrity, but in our own hearts, and in our own lives and universes.

All that said, posed as a hypothetical and a thought exercise, who could be that person that we revere on the same level as Dolly Parton—not that’s a perfect representation or amalgam of her virtues obviously, but that can become a living patron saint of rural triumph and universal acceptance who also happens to come from the country music realm? There are only a few real possibilities.

Willie Nelson


In the passing of Dolly Parton, some pondered if any man could ever achieve the kind of universal acceptance that Dolly Parton did. Well one already has, and he is still among us. Almost word for word, you could take many of the remembrances of Dolly Parton as a towering songwriter, world-class humanitarian, universally-beloved entertainer, champion of the downtrodden, poor, and dispossessed, and even the acting resume, the crossover musical appeal, philanthropy, and all of the rest of it, and replace Dolly’s name with “Willie Nelson,” and it would still work.

Willie Nelson is the male version of Dolly Parton, just as Dolly Parton is the female version of Willie Nelson, and this is the reason so many continue to revere Willie at the age of 93. One could also say this was the stature that Johnny Cash ascended to before he passed away. But of course, the issue with calling Willie Nelson the “next” of anything at the age of 93 is that it feels incredibly foolish. Willie Nelson is the next one that will shock our psyche and tear our hearts apart whenever word comes down he’s no longer with us. Because just like Dolly, he’s irreplaceable.

Reba McEntire


At 71, Reba is no spring chicken herself, though she certainly has much more life to live, and doesn’t look her age. She is also from rural America (Oklahoma). She grew up on a family cattle ranch, castrating bulls and other such chores before being discovered singing the National Anthem at the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City. It caught the attention of Red Stegall, and it was Reba singing a version of Dolly Parton’s “Joshua” a capella that ultimately sealed the deal.

Since then, Reba has been a country music superstar, even if her songwriting catalog and her list of universally-recognized hits is not nearly as vast as Dolly’s. She’s also been an actor for many years, even if her roles didn’t become as iconic as 9 to 5 or Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and were mostly relegated to small screen sitcoms bearing Reba’s own name.

That name “Reba” certainly commands respect. The philanthropy and taking care of people in Atoka where she came from by investing in the town also makes Reba more than just a famous celebrity. But it’s hard to see Reba’s legacy stretching far across the globe like Dolly (or Willie). No doubt Reba is one of the most successful country singers of all time, is hard to hate, has kept her nose clean of controversy, and can sing the skin off just about anything. But it just feels like a stretch to try to ascend her into Dolly territory.

Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs, and Others


Sure, Lainey Wilson and Luke Combs are some of the better and more beloved characters of the mainstream country population these days, and generally speaking, they’ve been an asset, and a stepping stone for country to achieve the heights it has now with a performer such as Ella Langley. But to compare them to Dolly Parton in any capacity like Rolling Stone Country in all its infinite wisdom did recently is patiently ludicrous and completely unserious, and speaks to just how out-of-touch they are. Artists who have an average of four songwriters on their songs and smack of product don’t deserve to even be in this conversation.

That doesn’t mean that Lainey Wilson isn’t a good and important artist. But her premature anointing as an “Entertainer of the Year” has bred resentment, and the work by her team to make her a “franchise” perhaps has a Dolly-esque quality to it, but feels more like cashing out than giving back. And frankly, Ella Langley is a bigger star at this point, and with a once-in-a-lifetime song with “Choosin’ Texas,” though Ella still has work to do to prove herself too.

Luke Combs continues to deserve praise for being a leader in country, trying to keep the genre more country-sounding, and taking cool openers with him out on tour. His cover of “Fast Car” with Tracey Chapman was also a really cool unifying moment. But naming him as the potential next Dolly Partner feels like clout chasing that comes from a perspective of mainstream bias with no real understanding of what made Dolly Parton so special.

Kacey Musgraves


Though Kacey Musgraves does feel like she gets closer to being that kind of unique character that Dolly Parton was, is definitely a powerful and resonant entertainer, singer, and songwriter that is outspoken about inclusivity, and full off glittery, larger-than-life imagery, Kacey’s place in the universe is not really as a uniter. She’s more of a disruptor, and in a good way. She most certainly doesn’t have that “universally beloved” status that Dolly did, though the assigning of strong political beliefs and alignments to Musgraves has also never felt smart or warranted like they probably have been for Carrie Undewrwood, who is perhaps another flawed “next Dolly” candidate.

Kacey is certainly her own unique self like Dolly Parton was. But the kitsch is more copycat, and the songwriting catalog more sparse. Who knows, maybe Kacey Musgraves could become that Dolly Parton character in the future. She’s probably one of the better candidates for it. But it doesn’t feel like she fills all the requisites just yet.

Sierra Ferrell


When comparing towering individuals who’ve passed on to their potential living predecessors, the most difficult quotient to take into account is how the individual has to be a wholly unique person unlike anyone else who has ever lived as well. In short, the person can’t be directly comparable to Dolly Parton or anyone else, except for perhaps tangentially, just like Dolly Parton wasn’t comparable to anyone before her.

The individual has to be someone that’s larger than life, that comes with properties that makes them feel more like myth than human. And though nobody is infallible (Dolly wasn’t), they have to give off the impression that they are, because their faults are so fleeting, and forgivable, while their own efforts at forgiveness, acceptance, inclusion, and love are as universal as the love and acceptance they receive.

And of course, they have to be talented. They have to be a solely unique dynamo and character who contributes something to the Earth that nobody has before, and nobody ever will be able to again. Though it’s fair to conclude that all of these things only exist on a microcosmic scale at this point comparatively, the only individual from the country and roots realm that contains all of these qualities is the one and only Sierra Ferrell.

Just like Dolly Parton, Sierra Ferrell came from the extreme poverty of the American South. Sierra Ferrell is religious and has given her heart to Jesus, but also extends her arms to be accepting of everyone. And just like Dolly Parton, Sierra Ferrell’s music comes across like medicine. She’s a songwriter first, while her voice soars well beyond the capacities of common popular singers, stirring the soul in unique and reverberative ways.

Of course Sierra Ferrell doesn’t have the catalog, or the kind of hits Dolly Parton accrued, even in this same parallel moment of her career. And though Sierra does have a strong international following, it’s comparatively scaled. Dolly Parton was a creature of popular music who then soared to the very heights of popular culture. But the way that American popular culture is so bifurcated these days, it’s unlikely anyone would be able to achieve those Dolly-like heights these days unless their talent was comparatively anodyne, and does not contain those Dolly Patron qualities.

In the days of Dolly Parton, Sierra Ferrell most certainly would have ascended to stardom, if not superstardom. But that’s just rarely or ever the fate for the most talented and most deserving among us these days. Instead, they get overshadowed by the Lainey Wilsons and Luke Combs’s of the world.

But Sierra Ferrell is also not some obscure semi-star. She’s a four-time Grammy Award winner, including earning one of her Grammys by beating Beyoncé. She draws large audiences live, and has a catalog of originally-written and often solo-written songs that have resonated deeply with millions of listeners.

Sierra Ferrell might never achieve the popular stardom of Dolly Parton. But never say never. Sometimes it takes a lifetime to achieve the recognition someone deserves. Sometimes it takes beyond the lifetime for the genius of a human to be exposed.

But what remains true is Sierra Ferrell’s story that takes her from busking to train hopping to a multi-time Grammy winner is an inspiring one, her music uplifts and heals in ways that have no peer, and her overall character and countenance are incomparable.

It’s not just about how “great” Sierra Ferrell is. It’s about how she inspires us all to find the greatness in ourselves, see our own value, and strive to be better people, and be the best versions of ourselves we can be. This is what Dolly Parton did, and this is what Sierra Ferrell does. And the world is better off for it.

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