Dolly Parton recently won her very first Oscar, at the age of 79. It's no secret that the country superstar has a long list of accomplishments, which includes, but is not limited to, eleven Grammy's, ten CMAs, and five ACM Awards. She's been recognized for her talent time and time again, but now, she's being recognized for her generous spirit. While accepting the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on November 16, Parton admitted that her desire to give back comes from growing up in a house where they "didn't have that much to share."
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"I grew up in a house with twelve kids," she began in her speech. "That alone teaches you how important sharing is. My momma and daddy showed me, by example, that the more you give, the more blessings come your way." The "9 to 5" singer continued. "I have tried my whole life to live by their example, and I have been blessed more than I ever dreamed possible."
Parton has been nominated for an Oscar twice before, once for the song "9 to 5" in 1981's 9 to 5, and again with the song "Travelin' Thru" from the movie Transamerica. Although she's never won the award for Best Original Song, Parton shared that receiving this Oscar feels like "a blessing."
Dolly Parton Says She Wants To "Dream up New Ways" To Give Back
Dolly Parton has never been one to shy away from her roots. In fact, much of her philanthropic work in inspired by the people of East Tennessee. Since 1988, she's been working with the Dollywood Foundation, which focuses on addressing poverty in the area. In 1995, she also started her Imagination Library, which sends out millions of books each month to children worldwide. Her inspiration for this initiative was actually her father, Robert Lee Parton, who never learned how to read.
She talked Robert Parton in an interview. "He was the smartest man I have ever known, but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams." It was because of her father that "Inspiring kids to love to read became [her] mission."
It seems that the more she gives, the more she's reminded of her mission in life. In her Oscar acceptance speech, she gave all of us that reminder as well. "I don't take this kind of thing lightly," the Queen of Country shared. "It makes me want to dream up new ways to help lift people up, and isn't that what we're supposed to be here for?"
Photo by: Jason Kempin/Getty Images
