Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 931 on September 20, establishing September 25 as an annual Dolly Parton Day in California and making the state the second in the nation to formally honor the country music icon, less than a month after Parton’s death at age 80 on August 25 in Nashville.
Key Takeaways
- Governor Newsom signed SB 931 on September 20, 2026, establishing September 25 as Dolly Parton Day in California, with the date chosen as a reference to Parton’s iconic song “9 to 5.”
- The bill was co-authored by Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) and Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), making the legislation a bipartisan effort that requires California governors to annually proclaim the day.
- Dolly Parton died on August 25, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee, at age 80, after a career that spanned more than six decades and produced over 100 million records sold worldwide.
- Parton’s Imagination Library has distributed more than 300 million books to children worldwide, including in California, and her broader philanthropy included funding COVID-19 vaccine development and supporting disaster relief efforts.
- Tennessee established its own Dolly Parton Day on January 19, 2026, when Governor Bill Lee signed a proclamation honoring Parton on her 80th birthday.
The Date 9-2-5 Ties The Tribute to Parton’s Most Recognizable Song
The choice of September 25 was not arbitrary. The date, written numerically as 9-2-5, is a direct reference to “9 to 5,” the 1980 hit that became one of Parton’s most widely recognized songs and the title track for her Hollywood acting debut alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. The film, a feminist workplace comedy about three secretaries who overthrow their sexist boss, was both set and filmed in California and became a cultural touchstone that extended Parton’s audience well beyond country music. The song itself reached number one on both the country and pop charts, earned Parton an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song, and remained a ubiquitous anthem for workplace culture for more than four decades.
SB 931 requires California governors to annually proclaim September 25 as Dolly Parton Day. The legislation was co-authored by Senator Shannon Grove, a Republican representing Bakersfield, and Senator John Laird, a Democrat representing Santa Cruz, making the bill one of the rare pieces of California legislation to carry bipartisan authorship without controversy or opposition. Newsom framed the signing in personal terms, stating that the bill was “not just establishing a day to celebrate Dolly Parton” but rather “creating an annual reminder to us, every year, to live the way she did — joyfully, graciously, and with a whole lot of heart.”
A Six-Decade Career That Reshaped Country Music and American Culture
Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on January 19, 1946, in Pittman Center, Tennessee, the fourth of twelve children raised in a one-room cabin in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. Parton began performing publicly as a child, appeared on local radio and television programs throughout her teenage years, and moved to Nashville the day after her high school graduation in 1964. By the late 1960s, Parton had established herself as a regular presence on “The Porter Wagoner Show” and began releasing solo records that would define the trajectory of country music for the next half century.
Over a career spanning more than six decades, Parton sold over 100 million records worldwide and earned 25 number-one country singles, the most by any female country artist in history. Her songwriting catalog includes “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “I Will Always Love You,” and “9 to 5,” songs that have been covered, sampled, and referenced across virtually every genre of popular music. Whitney Houston’s 1992 recording of “I Will Always Love You” became one of the highest-selling singles in history, generating royalties that Parton later directed toward community investments in Nashville’s Black neighborhoods.
Parton’s California Connections Spanned Film, Television, and Live Performance
Parton’s relationship with California extended well beyond a single film. After “9 to 5” launched her acting career in 1980, Parton appeared in “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” (1982), “Rhinestone” (1984), and “Steel Magnolias” (1989), productions that cemented her presence in Hollywood during a period when crossover success between Nashville and Los Angeles was uncommon for country artists. Less widely known is Parton’s role as an uncredited executive producer on the original 1992 film “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and on the television series adaptation that followed, a production connection that reflected California’s role as the center of the entertainment industry and Parton’s willingness to invest in projects outside her established brand.
Senator Laird noted Parton’s personal connections to California’s Central Coast, where Parton had performed and spent time over the course of her career. Senator Grove, in her statement following the signing, wrote that “the love Dolly gave so freely, rooted in her deep and openly shared faith, and the love the world returned to her, shows how deeply she was cherished by everyone.”
The Imagination Library Distributed More Than 300 Million Books Worldwide
Parton’s philanthropic footprint grew to match and eventually surpass her commercial fame. The Dollywood Foundation, established in 1988, initially focused on reducing high school dropout rates in Sevier County, Tennessee. Parton personally pledged to give $500 to every seventh and eighth grade student in the county who graduated from high school, a program called the Buddy Program that achieved measurable results within its first years of operation. In 1995, Parton expanded the foundation’s work by launching the Imagination Library, a book-gifting program that mails one free, age-appropriate book per month to registered children from birth through age five. The program has since distributed more than 300 million books to children across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Ireland, making the Imagination Library one of the largest early literacy programs in the world.
Parton’s philanthropy also extended to medical research. In 2020, Parton donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, a contribution that funded early-stage research for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. The donation was not publicly known until Parton’s name appeared in a New England Journal of Medicine paper detailing the vaccine trial’s preliminary results, an episode that underscored the scale of her charitable giving and the deliberate lack of publicity she attached to much of it.
California Becomes The Second State To Formally Honor Parton
California is the second state to establish a formal Dolly Parton Day. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed a proclamation on January 19, 2026, designating that date as Dolly Parton Day in her home state, coinciding with Parton’s 80th birthday. The Tennessee proclamation was ceremonial, tied to Parton’s birthday specifically, while the California legislation codifies September 25 as a recurring annual observance under state law.
Parton died peacefully on August 25, 2026, in Nashville. Her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, had died in 2025. In the weeks following her death, tributes poured in from across the music industry, Hollywood, and the political landscape. Dollywood, the Pigeon Forge theme park that Parton opened in 1986 and that became the largest employer in the Sevier County region, generating close to $2 billion annually in economic activity, confirmed that the park would continue operations and that a Life of Many Colors Museum would be added to the property. The Imagination Library also confirmed that its programming would continue without interruption.
The California bill’s bipartisan authorship, pairing a Bakersfield Republican with a Santa Cruz Democrat, reflects the breadth of Parton’s cultural reach. Parton spent her career avoiding partisan identification while supporting causes that crossed ideological lines, from LGBTQ advocacy and HIV/AIDS funding to literacy programs and disaster relief in conservative Appalachian communities. That ability to occupy common ground without diluting her commitments is, in part, what SB 931 is designed to commemorate each September 25.
FAQs
When Is Dolly Parton Day In California?
Dolly Parton Day in California is September 25, established by SB 931 signed by Governor Newsom on September 20, 2026. The date was chosen as a reference to Parton’s iconic song “9 to 5.”
Why Did California Establish Dolly Parton Day?
The legislation honors Parton’s contributions to music, film, literacy, and philanthropy. Parton’s acting career launched with “9 to 5,” which was filmed in California, and her Imagination Library has distributed books to children across the state. Parton died on August 25, 2026, at age 80.
Who Authored The Dolly Parton Day Bill?
SB 931 was co-authored by Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) and Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz). The bipartisan bill requires California governors to annually proclaim September 25 as Dolly Parton Day.
Is California The Only State With A Dolly Parton Day?
California is the second state to formally honor Parton. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed a proclamation establishing January 19, 2026, as Dolly Parton Day, coinciding with Parton’s 80th birthday. The California legislation is codified in state law as a recurring annual observance.
What Is The Dolly Parton Imagination Library?
The Imagination Library is a book-gifting program founded by Parton in 1995 that mails one free, age-appropriate book per month to registered children from birth through age five. The program has distributed more than 300 million books worldwide, including in California.
