Overview
- Governor Bill Lee signed the proclamation on Sunday naming Jan. 19, 2026 as Dolly Parton Day in Tennessee to mark her 80th birthday.
- The state cited her lifelong service, noting the Dollywood Foundation and Imagination Library have provided hundreds of millions of free books to children worldwide.
- On Jan. 16, Parton released a new version of her 1977 song “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” featuring Miley Cyrus, Reba McEntire, Lainey Wilson, and Queen Latifah.
- Net proceeds from the single and its music video will support pediatric cancer research at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville.
- Parton said the project carries the song’s message of hope as she aims to “shine a little light forward” approaching 80, following the 2025 death of her husband, Carl Dean.