I'm not a person who gets starstruck.Maybe it's the line of work I'm in.Since college, I've spent my entire career working with professional athletes, including some of the biggest names in MLB and the NFL.
And working in sports, I've crossed paths with countless other celebrities, too — actors, musicians, TV personalities.I don't say that as some sort of not-so-humble brag.It's just a fact that even the biggest stars on the planet are still people, and none of them have ever really blown me away in real life.Except one: Dolly Parton.Dolly Parton speaks onstage at Dolly Parton's Threads: My Songs In Symphony World Premiere at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on March 20, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee.
(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images) (Getty Images)Back in 2016, devastating wildfires ripped through Gatlinburg, Tenn., burning more than 17,900 acres, damaging or destroying roughly 2,400 structures and killing 14 people.In addition to donating her own money, Dolly established the My People Fund, which ultimately provided millions of dollars directly to families who lost their homes in the disaster.I ran social media for the Titans at the time, and a few of our players volunteered to answer phones during Dolly's telethon to help raise money for the victims.I'll never forget walking into that studio and immediately being greeted by the blondest, biggest hair and the sparkliest rhinestones I'd ever seen."Thanks for coming," she said with a huge smile.
"I'm Dolly!"Folks, I could not breathe.I could not believe this living legend was standing right in front of me, reaching out to shake my hand.How could someone so tiny be so...
larger than life?They say never to meet your heroes, but that wasn't true with Dolly.She couldn't have been kinder or more genuine.
Everything I imagined her to be.And the wildfire relief was just the tip of the iceberg for a woman who seemed to pour everything she had into the people and places she cared about.Through the Dollywood Foundation, ...