'National treasure: If we could all be like Dolly, it would be a much better place in the world'

As the world pays homage to the life and legacy of Dolly Parton, François Picard is pleased to welcome Nashville's Irene Kelley, Country musician and celebrated songwriter, alongside her daughter, Justyna Kelley, Country musician, songwriter, actress and producer. For the Kelley family, Dolly Parton’s significance lies in the extraordinary reach of her music, and even more in the way she turned intimate stories into something remarkably universal. Her songs were grounded in home, family, and life's immense struggles, while staying true to her values. The Kelleys see Parton as a national treasure who transcended generations, social class and the great political divide. Her influence, her music, her voice was enough to change the trajectory of a young Irene Kelley. And her music subsequently was generational as Kelley passed on her passion for country, and most notably Dolly, to both of her daughters, Justyna and Sara Jean, each of them distinct in their own right. What made Dolly exceptional was her ability to hold qualities that are too often regarded as polar opposites: “glamorous and grounded,” “funny and profound,” commercially successful yet exceptionally generous to America's youth, the underprivileged and underrepresented.During an era of deep polarization, her commitment to connect with all walks of life became part of her cultural legacy. She “loved everybody” and “accepted everyone.” That consistency between the stories she told, the values she held dear and the life she lived helps explain why her passing offers us all pause to reflect on a life fully lived, and celebrate Dolly's life, legacy and her art of celebrating all that it is to be human.