08/29/2026
Dolly Parton maintained a lifelong commitment to sobriety and abstained from drinking alcohol for the vast majority of her life.
She even kept her theme park “Dollywood” and other entertainment venues alcohol free.
Alcoholism ran on both sides of Dolly Parton’s family, and she spoke openly about what she had seen it do to the people she loved.
“Alcohol is the number one killer,” Dolly wrote in her 2020 book.
“A lot of people don’t realize that it’s a drug you can become addicted to. It’s so easy to get, and it seems so innocent to have a b**r or a cocktail. If you have a weakness for it, before you know it you can become an alcoholic. I’ve seen a lot of sorrows, because alcoholism runs on both sides of my family."
Parton feels that when one person is an alcoholic, many people suffer.
“An alcoholic might say, ‘Well, it ain’t hurting nobody but me,'” she wrote. “That’s a crock. It hurts everybody and you.”
Dolly understood something we see every day. Addiction rarely hurts just one person. Parents hurt. Children hurt. Spouses, brothers, sisters and friends hurt. But we also get to see those families heal and people find their way back to the ones who love them.
She used her life to give back, including helping raise money for an organization providing addiction treatment and sober-living resources.
Rest easy, Dolly. Thank you for never forgetting your people. ❤️

