When Dolly Parton passed away, country radio lost more than a legend. It lost a mentor that most people never even met in person. For me personally, I have been a Dolly fan for as long as I can remember. I can recall a phase where I would blast “9 To 5” every single day on my commute from Jersey City into Manhattan while working at the world’s best-known Hip-Hop radio station, HOT 97. It was usually followed by JAY-Z’s “Public Service Announcement”, but still, Dolly got me hyped for a day at the office “working for the man.”
In 2021, as we were coming out of the pandemic, and I was coming out of grieving the loss of my mother and being laid off from HOT 97, I took a two-month solo road trip and even stayed at Dolly’s DreamMore Resort in Pigeon Forge, TN. I actually went solo to Dolly Parton’s Stampede dinner theater, which is a unique cultural experience to say the least. I was lucky enough to meet her in 2025 as she launched her Rockstar album in Nashville. Radio folks who have been around as long as I have rarely get starstruck. Even now, when someone asks me, “Have you ever met (insert artist here)?” I usually have to think for a minute. But not with Dolly. I was too stunned to speak more than a few words in her presence. It was a night I will never forget.
I know there are other radio nerds like me, particularly women, who Dolly helped inspire and uplift. To really understand her impact, I reached out to eight women I know across the Country format and asked them to share what Dolly meant to them.
Their answers, gathered separately, told one connected story.
She Never Made Herself Smaller
Nearly every woman pointed to the same trait first: Dolly refused to shrink herself for anyone.
Gabe Mercer of KMLE Phoenix said Dolly “stood as an inspiration to women of all backgrounds and walks of life.” She added that Dolly “was unapologetically herself, and wasn’t afraid to knock down any door.”
Andrea Burtscher, who is Operations Manager of Audacy Nashville and on the CRS Agenda Committe agreed. She said Dolly “never allowed anyone to make her smaller, quieter or less Dolly in order to belong,” calling that kind of strength rare in an industry that hasn’t always been kind to women who refuse to fit a mold.
Annie Camp described watching Dolly handle interviewers who questioned her looks or choices over the years. “She never let anyone but herself define who Dolly was,” Annie said, calling that confidence a major influence on her own life.
Nicole Michalik of WXTU Philadelphia summed it up simply. “She never wavered,” Nicole said. “She made people feel seen and loved and welcome.”
Business Savvy Behind the Rhinestones
Beyond the music, several women pointed to Dolly’s sharp business mind.
Marci Braun of Audacy called Dolly “quite possibly one of the best philanthropists of our time.” She pointed to Dolly’s reach across production companies, Dollywood, and her own makeup line as proof of real business instinct. “That woman knew her audience,” Marci said. “But I think what I respect about her most was how she always controlled the narrative.”
Holly Hutton of Rob & Holly agreed that Dolly was always bigger than the music. “I also really admired the way she built and expanded her career to become a true brand,” Holly said.
The Moments That Stuck
For the women lucky enough to meet Dolly, the memories were small but unforgettable.
Marci Braun recalled holding a door for Dolly, who touched her face and said, “Thank you.” Marci added, “I swear my right knee gave out right then and there.”
Sabrina Sergio met Dolly at the same release party for her rock album that I attended. “I’ll never forget her complimenting my outfit, saying ‘I understood the theme,'” Sabrina said. “I don’t even think I knew how to speak English after that.”
Andrea Burtscher met Dolly during that same album’s press tour. She remembered Dolly walking straight toward her and Holly Hutton between interviews. “Even famous people need to pee!” Dolly told them with a laugh. Andrea was also present for what became Dolly’s final public appearance, at the opening of her travel stop in Cornersville, Tennessee. “It still doesn’t feel real that she’s gone,” Andrea said.
Katie Neal shared a story from a 2023 interview to promote Dolly’s Rockstar album. When Dolly asked if the cameras were rolling for television, Katie explained it was for radio instead. “Well, you should be!” Dolly told her, referring to how Katie should be on TV. Neal later reflected that being asked to speak about Dolly’s legacy on CNN the day she passed felt like no coincidence at all.
Holly Hutton’s connection ran even deeper than a single meeting. Dolly’s children’s album, I Believe in You, came out the same year Holly’s son was born, and its lullabies became part of their nightly routine. “It was Dolly who sang my son lullabies every night,” Holly said. “God knows I can’t sing!” Years later, her son still asks her to make him a coat of many colors.
Dolly in Her Own Words
Every woman had a favorite Dolly quote, and together they painted a full picture of her wit.
Gabe Mercer leaned on humor: “Every diet I’ve ever fell off of was because of a potato. Either french fries or mashed potatoes or baked potatoes. Potato, potato, potato. I never met a spud I didn’t like.” She also carries a second line with her daily: “You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try.”
Marci Braun picked a line from Steel Magnolias: “Smile! It increases your face value!” She also loves the “rooster to a hen with one shot” speech from 9 to 5.
Annie Camp and Nicole Michalik both cited the same line about blonde jokes. “I’m not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I’m not dumb, and I’m not blonde either,” Dolly said.
Holly Hutton keeps two quotes close. Every morning she sings, “Pour myself a cup of ambition,” while making coffee. Her other favorite shows Dolly’s edge: “I can tell you where to put it if I don’t like where you got it.”
Andrea Burtscher pointed to that same edge, pairing it with a line she heard in a separate interview: “Don’t you ever think that I’m a pushover. I want people to know I am a girl of many colors.”
Sabrina Sergio’s favorite line came from an unlikely source, Dolly’s cameo on Hannah Montana. “If you keep yourself out the game for fear of losing, there is no way on this earth you’re gonna win,” Sabrina remembered.
Katie Neal’s favorite line has nothing to do with an interview at all. It came from the first journal entry she ever wrote as a little girl: “Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”
The Legacy for the Next Generation
When asked what Dolly’s legacy should mean going forward, the answers converged around one idea. Stay true to yourself, and don’t wait for permission.
Sabrina Sergio hopes women “continue to make a space for ourselves in this business, and never try to fit into a ‘mold’ that we think we need to be to succeed.” Marci Braun hopes the next generation stays true to themselves and “doesn’t take any crap from anyone.”
Holly Hutton wants young women in radio to know that being feminine, ambitious, and kind are not contradictions. “Those things don’t cancel each other out,” she said. Andrea Burtscher hopes women stop wasting time on anyone who makes them question their worth, focusing instead on “what you want, what you’ve worked for and what you deserve.”
Katie Neal offered a phrase borrowed from country star Lainey Wilson, one she believes now guides the whole format. Ask yourself, WWDD. What would Dolly do?
A Legacy Bigger Than Music
Dolly Parton spent decades proving that warmth and power can exist in the same person. For these eight women in country radio, her passing wasn’t just the loss of an icon. It was a reminder of everything she taught them about staying exactly who they are.
As Nicole Michalik said, there will never be another Dolly. But thanks to the space she carved out, there doesn’t have to be. There just has to be another version of themselves, fully realized, the way Dolly always encouraged.
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