‘She had a mountain heart’| Remembering Dolly Parton’s enduring legacy as East Tennessee’s healer

What This Story Is About

• Detailing Dolly Parton’s philanthropic impact and personal connection to East Tennessee during major disasters.

Why It Matters

• For East Tennesseans, Dolly Parton was not just a global celebrity, but a local lifeline. Her rapid, hands-on responses to the 2016 Gatlinburg wildfires and Hurricane Helene proved that her deep commitment to her mountain roots went far beyond simple financial charity.

What Happens Next

• As the region mourns, communities continue to rebuild from past disasters, utilizing the ongoing funds and matching corporate resources Dolly set in motion to secure long-term recovery for flood-ravaged and fire-affected homes.

For Context

• Dolly Parton’s history of stepping up for the Smokies is legendary. Following the 2016 fires, her “My People Fund” provided $1,000 a month to families who lost their primary residences, a model of direct aid that she mirrored with a $1 million personal donation to “Mountain Strong” after Hurricane Helene.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - As East Tennessee mourns the passing of cultural icon and philanthropist Dolly Parton, residents from the Great Smoky Mountains to the valleys of Cocke County are reflecting on the profound, personal connection she shared with her home region—especially in times of historic disaster.

To the rest of the world, she was a global superstar. But to those who live in the ridges and hollows of East Tennessee, she was a neighbor who never forgot where she came from.

‘We Will Always Love You’

At the Gatlinburg Fires Memorial, the air of grief was heavy on Wednesday, but so was the sense of gratitude.

The memorial stands as a permanent testament to the lives lost in the devastating 2016 Gatlinburg wildfires, but it also serves as a reminder of the healing Parton personally led in the ashes. 10 years ago, when the mountains caught fire, she stepped up immediately, helping lifelong neighbors rebuild.

“These mountain people, you can’t out-give them,” said Gary Baker, a local resident who remembers the recovery efforts. “And they all jumped to the occasion. It just wasn’t Dolly, but members of her family as well. She was not just a national treasure, but she’s one of ours. And she never forgot it.”

A Beacon in the Floodwaters

The bond between Parton and East Tennessee did not end in Sevier County, nor did it stop with the fire recovery. Years later, her grace was felt again following the historic, record-breaking devastation of Hurricane Helene.

When Helene’s floodwaters destroyed entire communities across East Tennessee, Parton once again personally stepped in, announcing a $1 million donation alongside matching corporate funds to aid in the relief efforts.

Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis reflected on the genuine warmth she brought to a community that was facing its darkest hour.

“She was always the same person wherever she went. And, you know, so genuine... It was what we needed,” Mathis said. “She just came and gave that encouragement that we all needed at the time that we needed it most.”

Mathis noted that by choosing to announce her massive donation in Cocke County, Parton shined a global spotlight on a hard-hit community that might have otherwise been overlooked. He said the announcement effectively “put them on the map,” drawing hundreds of volunteers and supporters from across the country eager to help.

A Legacy of Empathy and Action

Local leaders and neighbors agree that Parton’s philanthropic power went far beyond the dollar amount on a check. Her presence brought visibility, and her name brought hope.

“The way that she had came from her love for and background in the mountains, because the people of East Tennessee had empathy,” Mayor Mathis said. “They had that way of reaching people, that heart. She had mountain heart.”

From funding the long road of wildfire recovery to helping rebuild flood-ravaged homes, those who knew her best say Parton proved time and again that her heart belonged to the Smokies. It is a “mountain heart” that neighbors say will never be replaced.