As Maritimers remember country music legend Dolly Parton, some fans were able to look back proudly on times they met her. “It was just like you were meeting somebody that you already knew,” said musician Allie Bennett. Bennett - along with four other Cape Breton performers - enjoyed a few minutes with the country music legend back in 2009 during a festival at Dollywood. He still remembers the conversation starter he used that day. “I just thought I would ask her how she felt about playing in Nova Scotia, because I knew she had played the Metro Centre in Halifax a couple of times with Kenny Rogers,” Bennett recalled. “So immediately she remembered it and she talked about how she loved the people here and the friendly people here reminded her of the people grew up with in Tennessee.” Then, there are those who were remembering Parton for her philanthropy. Bryce McNeil, a Cape Bretoner now living in Kentucky, is among the millions of parents worldwide whose children have received books from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. “This speaks to why everyone loved Dolly Parton so much and what she gave of herself,” McNeil said on Wednesday. As tributes continue to pour in from around the world, Nova Scotia music legend Anne Murray took to social media, saying, “We have lost an angel. The world has been blessed to experience her talent, her joy, her kindness and goodness. Dolly was the best! What a legacy she has left.” Others were remembering Parton for her wit and wisdom, along with her talent and generosity. “That’s what I’ll remember mostly - just how friendly she was even just for that brief meeting,” Bennett said. “If both of my daughters can emulate that - even a fraction so - I will be one of the proudest fathers there has ever been,” McNeil added. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
