A biopic, a coffee brand and dog treats among Dolly Parton’s business projects still to come
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Singer and businesswoman Dolly Parton, who died earlier this week, had a slew of projects in the pipeline including a biopic, documentary, avatar show, museum, travel stop for truckers, coffee brand and dog treats.
“Dolly worked up until the day she died. She loved seeing her dreams come to life and loved knowing her work brought people joy,” her longtime manager Danny Nozell told US media including Hollywood Reporter.
“If you see unreleased music, products, books, experiences and campaigns launched through official Dolly Parton channels, you can have confidence in knowing that she placed her personal stamp on it,” he added.
Parton died peacefully in hospital in Nashville on 25 August after a “brief battle with cancer”, after being admitted four days before her death with kidney and autoimmune issues.
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Nozell said that Parton had worked with her “handpicked” team for the past several years, to “build a project roadmap that will guide us for decades to come”.
The hugely successful and popular singer-songwriter and philanthropist took shrewd decisions throughout her career, which made her millions.
Just before her death, she told People on 21 August she was exploring new ways of touring, and that her team was collaborating with companies that create “avatar performances” given her recent health concerns.
She added they were in the “early stages of development”, People said.
Other upcoming projects include:
- Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stops (celebrating National Truck Driver Appreciation Week)
- Dolly Parton’s SongTeller Hotel
- Dolly scripted series
- Docuseries
- Billy the Kid animated series
- Dolly Dolls
- Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum
- Dolly’s Cup Of Ambition Coffee
- Dolly’s Dog Treats
- Dolly on the Holly
- Dolly Bedding & Home Decor
Her Broadway show, Dolly: A True Original Musical, opens in December.
Harry Styles added his voice to the deluge of tributes for Parton, saying at his Madison Square Garden show she was “inspiration to his career”. He also included her song I Will Always Love you as part of his show.
Meanwhile, flags across the US flew at half-mast on Wednesday, in tribute to the singer.
A familyto take place this weekend in Nashville
Last year, Parton said she had one song she couldn’t talk about – it was still secret and buried in a vault in Dollywood, and will not be released until 2045.
“It’s not supposed to be open ’til I’ll be 100, and which, that’s the day after tomorrow,” Parton joked at the time.
Maike Currie, vice-president of personal finance at savings firm PensionBee, told the BBC’s Wake Up to Money that Parton had set examples for others.
She described her as a “brilliant businesswoman, but also an iconic investor and a real example to women about the power of what happens if women are financially independent”.
Parton, who came from a humble, poor background in Tennessee, was always keen to encourage self-belief and confidence in others.
She wrote to the young recipients of books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, saying: “You and all of your friends are very special. There is no limit to what you can do or how far you can go.
“Just remember the lessons my family taught me – dream big dreams; learn everything you can learn; and care for all those who care for you. You do all of these things and you can be anyone you want to be.”
