Dolly Parton helped take country music beyond its traditional audience, becoming one of the genre's most influential figures, according to country music expert and broadcaster Baylen Leonard.
The singer-songwriter, who died on Tuesday (August 25) at the age of 80, introduced countless listeners to country music, serving as what Leonard describes as a "gateway" to the genre.
READ: US country music legend Dolly Parton dies at 80
"I think there was a real ground shift when Dolly Parton played Glastonbury," he said. "Suddenly it became obvious that country music wasn't about geography, it wasn't about where you were from, or the kind of lifestyle that you grew up in. It was about something more than that."
Leonard said Parton's hugely popular appearance at the British music festival helped challenge perceptions of country music and broaden its appeal to audiences who might otherwise have dismissed the genre.
For Leonard, who grew up in East Tennessee near Parton's hometown, the news of her death felt deeply personal.
"It felt like a gut punch. It felt like a family member had gone," he said.
"Being originally from East Tennessee, where I grew up and where Dolly grew up, she was a part of the DNA of my childhood and of the area."
READ: Tennesseans mourn local hero Dolly Parton
Parton's influence extended well beyond music, Leonard said, pointing to her charitable work in Tennessee and beyond. Throughout her life, she supported victims of devastating wildfires in her home state, funded literacy initiatives through her 'Imagination Library' program, and donated $1 million toward research that helped develop a COVID-19 vaccine.
"She never tried to fit into a box," Leonard said. "As she said, find out exactly who you are and do it on purpose. She did it on purpose and also made all of us want to be a little bit more like Dolly."
Known for hits including "Jolene" and "9 to 5," Leonard said Parton's greatest gift may have been her ability to tell deeply personal stories that resonated with audiences around the world.
"Country music does songwriting, storytelling and truth-telling better than any other genre," Leonard said.
"And Dolly Parton, the undisputed Queen of country music and of storytelling, could take a subject matter or a very specific personal situation like 'Jolene' and make that resonate with people around the world."
(Production and Writing: Francesca Halliwell)