Freida Parton can imagine exactly what happened when her big sister Dolly Parton entered heaven’s gates.
“There was a beautiful pair of high heels waiting for her to slip her little feet into. And then I bet that she walked over to my momma and my daddy and all of our Smoky Mountain DNA family that have went before us, and they are singing. And I'm sure she is – and Momma is – being the loudest as they sing in the family choir.”
Freida shared the beautiful thought before Knox News could even ask her a question during a phone call Sept. 3, just a little over a week after Dolly died.
For Freida, remembering Dolly is about more than the music, the fame or the millions of people who loved her. It is about the love and advice her big sister left behind
and the simple things she’ll miss most about her.
What Would Dolly Do?
Like Dolly and several of their siblings and family members, Freida is a singer-songwriter. Instead of country and Appalachian music, by the 1980s, Freida developed her sound around rock and punk music.
Despite the genre differences, Dolly - or “Dolly Momma” as Freida called her – always gave her wise advice.
“She always said, ‘Do like me: Always think the best about people but always be good to yourself,’” Freida recalled. “She said, 'Give of yourself and give to others and do everything you can to help others and lift them up.'"
Freida says she plans to do more than just live by Dolly’s philosophy.
“I’m going to do what she told me to do,” Freida said. “I’m going to be always let people know, ‘What would Dolly do?' That’s how you live your life.”
When asked what she hopes people never forget about Dolly, Freida's answer was short: “Her kindness,” she said affectionately.
What will Freida miss most about Dolly?
With all the joy and light Dolly brought to the world, what Freida will miss most is somewhat surprising, and deeply personal.
“Her cooking!” Freida said with a laugh. “She was a fabulous cook! She could make the best biscuits, and she could make the best scrambled eggs I've ever had in my life.”
Dolly used real butter, Freida said. She’d mix it with peach jelly and spread it on the biscuits, which would be dessert after breakfast, she recalled.
“She cooks just like Momma,” Freida said. And cooking and music weren’t the only things passed down in the Parton family.
“A lot of love's been passed down through the generations,” she added.
Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Dolly Parton’s sister Freida will miss her music, joy and 'the best biscuits'
