Music icon Dolly Parton has been hailed as an “inspiration” who leaves a legacy that will help children in Newcastle for generations to come.
It was announced on Tuesday that the legendary American singer had died at the age of 80 after a brief battle with cancer, sparking an outpouring of grief across the globe.
Beyond her beloved hits like 9 To 5 and Jolene, the country music superstar was also behind a massive drive to foster a love of reading among millions of children.
Her Imagination Library project launched in 1995, inspired by her own father’s inability to read, and has given more than 300 million books to youngsters around the world.
That includes thousands in Newcastle, where city council bosses adopted the initiative last year.
The Imagination Library scheme gifts a free book every month to all newborn babies in the city for the first five years of their life.
So far, 15,700 books have been given out to more than 3,000 children on Tyneside.
Coun Wendy Taylor, Newcastle City Council’s cabinet member for integrated health and adult social care, said: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Dolly Parton. Dolly was an inspiration and a rare unifier in an increasingly polarised world, changing countless lives for the better.
“Here in Newcastle, through our work with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, thousands of children have received free books. Not only has that helped our ambition to give every child the best start but its positive impact on family literacy will be a legacy that will be felt for generations to come.
“Though we grieve her loss with the rest of the world that work will continue, and we hope that Dolly will continue to inspire a love of reading in the hearts of children everywhere.”
The city council originally launched a pilot project with the Imagination Library, covering all babies born between May 2025 to April 2026.
That has since been extended, doubling in scope by also being offered to every child born up to April 2027 and also reaching out to babies who were born outside of Newcastle in that two-year period who have since moved into the city.
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“I was culture secretary when her libraries were first coming through and the books that went into communities across Britain. What a legacy to leave.
“It was so moving to hear about her dad and how that experience made her want to give back so much.
“She leaves that legacy as well as, obviously, great music that people will treasure forever.”