The Songwriter’s Hall of Fame has selected Dolly Parton to be the recipient of its most prestigious honor, the Johnny Mercer Award. This award ranks higher than induction into the Hall of Fame; it is presented only to songwriters already in the Hall, and “whose body of work is of such high quality and impact, that it upholds the gold standard set by the legendary Johnny Mercer.”
If you can’t think of a good reason for Parton to get this honor, I’ll be nice and give you two dozen:
- Put It Off Until Tomorrow
- Just Because I’m A Woman
- My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy
- Down From Dover
- Coat of Many Colors
- Touch Your Woman
- My Tennessee Mountain Home
- Jolene
- Kentucky Gambler
- I Will Always Love You
- The Bargain Store
- The Seeker
- To Daddy
- Light of a Clear Blue Morning
- It’s All Wrong, But It’s All Right
- 9 to 5
- Do I Ever Cross Your Mind
- Appalachian Memories
- Tennessee Homesick Blues
- Wildflowers
- PMS Blues
- The Grass Is Blue
- Hello God
- Welcome Home
And that’s just scratching the surface. For my money, Parton just might be the best singer-songwriter in the history of the genre. At the very least, she’s on a short list with Hank Williams, Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson.
FYI-Dolly didn’t write “Hard Candy Christmas”. That was written by Carol Hall-composer for “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas”
Oops! I read that line wrong in the chart book. Thanks for the catch!
Changed “Hard Candy Christmas” to “Appalachian Memories”
Calling Dolly on a par with Hank, Merle and Willie is probably overstating it a bit. For that matter Hank, Merle and Willie are probably a half rung below Harlan Howard and Dallas Frazier.
I would put Dolly on the same plateau as Loretta Lynn, Buck Owens and Leon Payne which is still rarefied air, to be sure
I was careful to write “Singer-Songwriters” because it’s an important distinction. I think she’s on the level with Williams, Haggard and Nelson in that regard. I’d put her a few steps above Lynn and Owens.