this is humbling

Posted: September 20th, 2026 | Tags: | No Comments »

from kareem abdul-jabar’s newsletter on dolly parton:

By eight, she could play guitar, and by ten, she was on the radio. Her first single, “Puppy Love,” came out when she was thirteen [in 1959]. That same year, she made her Grand Ole Opry debut, where she was introduced by Johnny Cash. She wasn’t an overnight success: she worked nonstop, honing her craft, honing her songwriting, but it took her more than a decade to score her first number-one hit in 1971. Imagine how many people came and went in that decade. A lot of one-hit wonders; a lot of no-hit wonders. The Beatles’ entire recording career came and went during the long stretch between Dolly’s first single and her first number-one hit.

(to be fair she was only 25 in 1971!!! also impressive!!!!]

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