Dolly Parton told Larry King about the most unsettling experience she ever had with a fan in a resurfaced 2016 interview clip. The tale ended with the country star being forced to bring in the police. That’s because a fan abandoned an unidentified infant right in front of her home, with a note saying the baby was meant as a gift for the singer, who has served as a mentor on both “American Idol” and “The Voice.”
It all began when Dolly’s song “Jolene” began to blow up in 1974 followings its late 1973 release. Dolly, who was around 27 years old at the time, said she returned from work one day to the new Brentwood house she’d recently built with Carl, to find a basket at the gate.
Expecting it to contain food or some other treat, Dolly says she peeked inside and discovered a live baby. She recalled, “There was a note that said ‘My name is Jolene and I want you to have me. You can have me for keeps,’ or something to that effect.”
What Did Dolly Parton Do When She Found a Baby Outside Her House?
GettyNot knowing what to do, Dolly says she “freaked out” but stayed level-headed enough to realize she should not touch the child. Instead, she headed straight for the house and exclaimed, “Call child services! Call the police.” She concluded, “They came, and I never knew what happened. But that was the creepiest, weirdest thing in the world.”
She says she never learned where the child came from or where it went because after the infant was taken by the authorities, she thought, “Well, I can’t get any more involved in that.”
Daughter of Dolly Parton’s Assistant Revealed 2 of Her Favorite Fast Food Spots
In a sweet tribute full of fond memories, Lesley Patterson, whose mom spent decades working for the diva, shared the fact that Dolly was a fan of Captain D’s and Sonic. She called the loss of Dolly on August 25 “enormous” before going on to say some of her favorite moments.
“To the world, Dolly was an icon. But to my family, she was more. My mom has spent more than 30 years by her side. Starting out as just a little grocery shopper for her houses in the 90s to quite literally being a 24/7 personal life handler 🤣 to this day.”
Lesley the thanked Dolly for her love, kindness, and loyalty, and said Dolly was a huge support to her family when she lost her father.
“We love her sisters, nieces and nephews like our own, and this loss is deeply personal. It leaves an unimaginable hole in both my life and my mom’s day-to-day life,” she added.
She also reminisced on hearing stories from Dolly’s life, such as the times Dolly and her husband Carl Dean would drive their camper to various fairs across Tennessee. Carl would wander through the fair collecting Dolly’s favorite treats, and bring them back to the camper so the superstar could enjoy the fair foods with no one the wiser.
She said also said a part of her mom’s job as Dolly’s assistant, who advanced to the position after starting as a simple grocery shopper for the house, was driving Dolly on weekly runs to Sonic and Captain D’s.
“There will never be another Dolly. We will love her, miss her and carry her with us for the rest of our lives. The world will never be the same without her,” Lesley concluded.
In the comments, one of Lesley’s acquaintances shared a memory of Dolly kindly donating all her used reading glasses as souvenirs for the teachers at a school every time she had to move up a level.
