The Fan Who Got Texas a Dolly Parton Day
Timothy Wayne helped secure a statewide proclamation honoring the icon’s music, philanthropy and literacy work.
There’s being a fan, and then there’s being someone who wants to help cement an icon’s legacy for the next generation.
Timothy Wayne, a Brazoria County native and lifelong Dolly Parton fan, did exactly that, helping make it possible for Gov. Greg Abbott to declare September 25 as Dolly Parton Day across the state of Texas.
For Wayne, the moment the proclamation became official was almost too good to believe. “I remember saying, ‘THANKS BE TO THE DOLLY ANGELS ABOVE!’”
The moment was the culmination of several weeks of work and a personal effort to honor the woman who has been a major part of Wayne’s life since childhood.
“We have to honor and commemorate people who truly leave a mark on the world, and there really isn’t anybody who can come close to what Dolly accomplished for children, families, music, entertainment, and people everywhere,” Wayne says.
Wayne had found out that local officials and lawmakers in Tennessee were discussing the possibility of recognizing September 25 as Dolly Day. He knew the state of Texas should do the same.
“September 25 falls exactly one month after Dolly’s passing,” he says. “It also gives a little nod to 9 to 5, one of her most extraordinary films. It’s one of those numbers everyone immediately associates with Dolly. So September 25 felt like a really special Texas way to honor her.”
Wayne contacted the governor’s office and began the process of requesting an official proclamation. The process, he says, was relatively straightforward: submit a formal request, correspond with the governor’s office and provide additional information as requested.
He called every day at first, leaving messages because he wasn’t sure he had reached the right person. He also sent emails and requests to the wrong offices. Once he reached the correct contact, however, things moved quickly. The governor’s office responded within less than a business week, and the final process took about a week.
The official news came September 23, when Wayne received an email requesting his mailing address so the signed proclamation recognizing September 25 as Dolly Parton Day in Texas could be sent to him.
Wayne also received encouragement from people he works with through Brazoria County Pride, where he serves as president, as well as members of Parton’s team and some of her family. He is quick to emphasize, however, that he doesn’t know whether anyone else independently contacted the governor’s office about recognizing Dolly Day.
“To my knowledge, though, I was the person corresponding directly with the Governor’s office on this particular request,” Wayne said. “So if anyone else called, emailed, or helped push the idea forward, THANK YOU. We did this together for Dolly and for Texas!”
The proclamation recognizes Parton’s impact through her music, entertainment career, philanthropy, literacy work, generosity, and connection with generations of people. Wayne believes that impact extends far beyond Parton’s career accomplishments.
“Dolly represents humanity to me,” he says. “She represents the kind of person I think every human being should aspire to be.”
To Wayne, Parton has always represented acceptance, kindness, and a willingness to connect with people regardless of their differences. “She represents hope,” he says. “She represents love and acceptance without having to put somebody into a box first. She represents kindness, helping children, being a light in dark places, and using whatever gifts you have to make the world a little better.”
Wayne’s personal friendship with Parton started after he worked on her Joyful Noise film, which shot in Atlanta in 2009 and 2010. He met up with her again during a Texas tour stop, the beginning of years of invitations to events at Dollywood and stops on her final tours.
For Texans celebrating Dolly Parton Day this year and in the years ahead, Wayne envisions something more than an announcement and posting a photo of the legendary entertainer. He imagines events that include playing her music, watching her movies, reading her books to children, donating to Dolly’s Imagination Library, volunteering, dressing like her, or simply doing something kind for someone else.
“Have fun with it, of course,” he says. “Be sparkly. Be ridiculous. Wear the big hair. Sing the songs. But then go make somebody feel seen, heard, and celebrated. That, to me, is the real Dolly Day.”
