About 2,000 Lansing-area children receive a free book every month through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, according to WKAR. Parton died Tuesday, Aug. 25, at age 80.
Her nephew Bryan Seaver announced the death in a video posted to social media. Parton died following a brief battle with cancer, surrounded by loved ones at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, according to a statement from her representatives reported by USA Today.
"Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched," the statement said. "Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand. Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly's unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact."
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered U.S. and Michigan flags lowered to half-staff on all public buildings statewide beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, with flags returning to full staff at sunset on Tuesday, Sept. 1. Whitmer said Parton's commitment to literacy helped many Michigan children learn to read, according to a statement reported by WSJM.
Lansing's Imagination Library connection
Parton launched the Imagination Library in 1995, inspired by her father's inability to read or write. The program mails free, age-appropriate books monthly to children from birth to age five. Globally, it has distributed more than 300 million books across five countries.
In Lansing, Child and Family Charities operates the program in specific neighborhoods, enrolling local families and securing funding so books arrive at no cost. Kelly Haynie, director of program innovations at Child and Family Charities, told WKAR on Tuesday that Parton's influence reached far beyond music.
"This is a critical program for Child and Family Charities because we believe that early childhood literacy is preventative to child abuse and neglect, so her impact we have seen much beyond, you know, kind of her singing and acting career," Haynie said.
Local footprint
Parton visited the MSU Breslin Center in East Lansing in 1990, shortly after the arena opened, and signed the celebrity signature wall in the floor-level tunnel. Her autograph remains there alongside those of Garth Brooks, Willie Nelson and Bill Clinton, as documented in a July 2025 Lansing State Journal photo gallery.
Michigan State University's Department of Theatre staged "9 to 5: The Musical," featuring Parton's music and lyrics, at the Fairchild Theatre in East Lansing in February 2025, according to the MSU Department of Theatre.
Career highlights
Born Jan. 19, 1946, in a one-room cabin near Sevierville, Tennessee, Parton was the fourth of 12 children. Over more than six decades she sold more than 100 million records, according to NBC News. Her hits included "Jolene," "I Will Always Love You," "Coat of Many Colors" and "9 to 5." She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
How to enroll
Lansing families with children from birth to age five can still enroll in the Imagination Library through Child and Family Charities by calling 517-882-4000, ext. 108.
