26/08/2026
My introduction to Dolly Parton happened on a completely random afternoon.
My younger sister, our neighbour’s son and I were in his dad’s car, on our way back to boarding school after the long holidays. Somewhere along the road, he put on Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton.
I had never heard anything like it. I was immediately captivated by Dolly’s beautiful, unmistakable voice, but what really drew me in were the lyrics. As a child who grew up going to Sunday School and listening to Bible stories, The song reminded me of the story of Joseph and his coat of many colours. The lyrics to the song felt strangely familiar, almost like a story I already knew.
At the time, it was the most beautiful song I had ever heard. The melody stayed with me, but so did the story. The funny thing is, I had absolutely no idea who the artist was. 😂
Years later, when I finally had my own phone and could download music, I went searching for that song. The moment I found Coat of Many Colors, I knew I had found it. I downloaded it and listened to it religiously until I could sing every single word.
And as if that wasn’t enough, that same neighbour’s car introduced me to another unforgettable song: Whitney Houston’s Hello God. Another school drop off, another random journey, another song that stayed with me.
Looking back now, I realise that man was unknowingly responsible for introducing a young me to Dolly Parton, and country music. 😂❤️
It’s funny how some of our earliest musical memories aren’t made at concerts or from albums we bought ourselves. Sometimes they happen in the backseat of somebody’s car, on the way back to boarding school after the holidays, with the afternoon sun coming through the windows and a song playing on the radio.
And somehow, many years later, you still remember exactly how it felt.
