Dolly Parton’s Tennessean Travel Stop in Cornersville, Tennessee just gave fans one more piece of her. The stop released previously unseen videos Thursday of Parton explaining why the project mattered to her, along with a custom banjo-inflected jingle she created for it. In the footage, she describes the stop as a home away from home, filled with personal touches like rhinestone instruments and big pictures on the wall. The June grand opening, about an hour south of Nashville, turned out to be one of her final public appearances before her death on August 25 at age 80.
The timing of the release lines up with Trucker’s Appreciation Week, which runs September 13-19. Drivers enrolled in the stop’s perk program can look forward to free coffee, meals, and reserved seating throughout the week. Parton often spoke about the people who keep this country moving, and the travel stop was her way of putting that gratitude into something concrete.
For fans who grew up with her music, these new videos and that jingle carry a little extra weight. It’s one more reminder that she was still creating, still building, right up until the end. Have you ever stopped at Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop? Tell us what you thought.
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Ava Hart
Ava Hart is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
