The Songs, the Books, the Heart: It's Dolly Day!

September 25 belongs to Dolly Parton ... Here in Canada we'd normally write the date as 25/9, but in the US it's 9/25 and you've got "9 to 5."

That's the fun part ...

The rest of Dolly Day is about the things she cared about most: good songs, kids with books in their hands, and doing a little good for others in the community.

A day with a simple to-do list

The day goes by another name, too: Give Like Dolly Day. The idea is to do one thing that makes a difference, whether that's donating, volunteering, reading with a kid, or helping out someone in your community.

People everywhere are planning to mark it their own way, with reading events, fundraisers, parties and plenty of Dolly on the speakers.

In Nashville, the city has a full day planned, and at 5pm, the entire city will sing the same song.

The songs everybody knows

Dolly grew up the fourth of twelve kids in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. She spent more than six decades turning that life into songs.

"Jolene." "Coat of Many Colors." "9 to 5." "I Will Always Love You." You don't have to call yourself a country fan to know every word.

Her songs were about love, heartbreak, family, hard work and hope. That's why they still hit, and why she sold more than 100 million records along the way.

Her biggest hit wasn't a song

Dolly started the Imagination Library in 1995 in honour of her father.

It sends a free, brand-new book every month to kids from birth to age five, so they're building a love of reading before they ever set foot in a classroom.

It began as a small program in her home community. Today it has given away more than 330 million books around the world, and it reaches families right here in Canada. You can find out more at imaginationlibrary.com/ca.

When she died in August 2026 at 80, the tributes kept coming back to that as much as the music. Reba McEntire said it best: "There will never ever be another you."

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A post shared by Reba McEntire (@reba)

A Dolly song every hour on 107.5 Kool FM

For Dolly Day, 107.5 Kool FM is playing a Dolly Parton song every hour, all day long.

So whether you're working your own 9 to 5, getting the kids to school, or just driving around town with us on, there's a little more Dolly coming your way. Happy Dolly Day from all of us at Kool FM.