Wednesday morning, Dolly Parton gave $250,000 to the United Way’s Middle Tennessee flood relief fund, and simultaneously conjured an old John Prine lyric.
“She said, ‘Carl, take all the money.’ She called everybody ‘Carl,’” Prine once sang. On Wednesday, Parton made numerous jokes about the fact that her husband of 44 years is named Carl Dean, and Nashville’s mayor — who was on hand to thank Parton for the donation — is named Karl Dean.
“Everybody’s been calling from all over the United States saying what a wonderful job my husband has been doing,” Parton said.
The Country Music Hall of Famer’s donation came from admission proceeds from her Dollywood and Dixie Stampede properties and from fan contributions to www.dollyparton.com. She chose the United Way’s Restore the Dream Fund as the donation recipient because she is impressed by the on-the-ground work that the United Way has been doing. “They’re actually going out into these areas where people have lost everything and trying to get them back into their homes,” Parton said.
The singer’s gift adds to the millions of dollars that have been raised by musicians for flood relief. “The music community has been sensational,” said mayor Dean, who blushed a bit after Parton sent some fawning words his way. He also attempted to clear up the Karl Dean/Carl Dean situation. “I don’t get to be Ms. Parton’s husband, only the mayor of Nashville,” Dean said. “I’ll work harder in the next life.”
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