My Time with Dolly and Tim

These thoughts are brief and imperfect, incomplete in the wake of loss. But they are mine and I share them with love.

When I was all of six years old, my mother took me to see “9 to 5.” She wanted me to see examples of strong womanhood against unfair chauvinism. To be honest, most of that was lost on me. I did understand that the boss was unfair, and I certainly was rooting for Lilly, Jane, and Dolly. What struck me most was the zany hospital scene and, of course, Dolly Parton’s beauty and her infectious title song. 

Reflecting on it, Dolly Parton was probably my first celebrity crush (her or Debbie Harry, both struck me at about the same time).

Dolly entered my consciousness again two years later when her duet with Kenny Rogers, “Islands in the Stream” became a smash hit and briefly, a favorite song as I began to more solidly develop my own preferences in music. 

It was about this same time that I was first introduced to Tim Curry. His portrayal of Rooster in “Annie” was a perfect blend of cartoonish villainy mixed with real menace. Few people can match Carol Burnette in playing over-the-top with real emotional footing. Curry danced his way through it. I would eventually play Rooster myself and Tim was a huge influence.

For me, the two Tim Curry roles that truly stand out are Darkness in “Legend” and Dr. Frank-N-Furter in “Rocky Horror.” He brought a genuine sense of human yearning to the wicked and selfish debauchery of the roles. The meme states that one might fairly judge a man by which role he knows Tim Curry. Judge me on those two.

Dolly returned to my mind with her small but scene-stealing role in “Steel Magnolias.” Julia Roberts was supposed to be the siren for 15 year old me, but Dolly still held much of my heart. It was about this time that I began to learn about her charitable work, which only deepened my admiration even if I had largely moved away from her music. 

Both of them lived lives of service, using their fame to help others. It’s been noted that Dolly would have been a billionaire had she not quietly given so much of her wealth back to children and communities in need. Tim Curry has always been an activist for equal rights and was instrumental in raising money and awareness during the worst of the AIDS crisis.

As I’ve aged, I have come back to much of Dolly’s music. My younger self lacked the maturity needed to truly appreciate it. I’ve also come to discover what it was about Tim Curry that I admired so much: the courage, as he put it, to take so many unusual, controversial roles and fully own them. Dolly owned the character of her public life as well. 

All these beloved personae by two passed titans helped to teach the rest of us to simply be. 

Thank you.