- All right y'all, I can't let you go
without one more story of hope and goodness.
This is what I'm liking.
(high-energy rock music)
She is one of the most talented and inspiring entertainers
in American history, a living national treasure.
I love her so much. In fact, our love for her
is possibly the only thing we all can agree on these days
in this divided world.
I don't know one person doesn't love this woman.
I'm talking about the one and only, Miss Dolly Parton.
(crowd cheers)
And now I'm excited to say her story is coming
to a new generation.
"I am Dolly Parton" by Brad Meltzer is out today
and it's the latest in his
"Ordinary people change the world" book series
featuring famous leaders, like Oprah Winfrey,
Abraham Lincoln, and Rosa Parks.
Um, here to talk about it is author Brad Meltzer.
Give it up for him y'all.
(crowd cheers)
Nice to see you again, Brad.
- Hey, everybody.
- Oh, hey.
(crowd cheers)
So, it's, it's so great to see you.
I love that you did this book,
but what do you think, kids,
what do you think they're gonna love about Dolly's story?
- Listen, you know, we wrote these books to give our,
my own kids better heroes, to look up to.
What I think they're gonna love is
you get to see her as a person and how human she was.
When Dolly Parton was growing up, she was so poor
that on the day she was born,
that her father paid the doctor with a sack of cornmeal.
Her mother fed her love of books.
And Dolly's, one of her favorites, as a little girl
was "The Little Engine That Could,"
and that's who Dolly Parton is. She's the little engine.
Instead of wearing what everyone tells her to wear,
she says, maybe I can wear flashy costumes.
And she does. Instead of just singing country songs,
she sings songs that everyone's gonna love.
Instead of being just a music star, she's a movie star.
And then she says, I'm gonna open up my own theme park.
And they say, that'll never work.
She doesn't listen to any of the business people
who tell her that. She opens up Dollywood
and then starts her own charity, the Imagination Library.
- [Kelly Clarkson] Yeah.
- Which gives away millions of books to kids
around the country.
You know what the very first book they started with?
- [Both] "The Little Engine That Could."
- Oh, I love that. She's also just
like the epitome of what one should be in the spotlight.
Like she's so like, graceful and caring and, and empathetic.
Like, she's just a really, really cool person as well.
Um, and sometimes, you know, when you see people,
you know at the top like that, they're not always,
they're not always, um, nice.
And, and she's so lovely and she's so kind
and that's something to love about her as well.
But, what do you think surprised you most
about Dolly's story?
- You know, it's this Kelly, and it's,
it's actually the one thing that she has in common with you
and you have it with her.
At her concerts, just like at your show,
you can find old and you can find young,
you can find rich and poor
and gay and straight, city folks and country folks,
and Black and white and everything in between.
She loves them all. And she, just like you,
doesn't judge you as long as you're being yourself.
And I wanna read to you, this is the final page
from "I am Dolly Parton" by myself, my favorite author,
Brad Meltzer.
(Kelly laughs)
Um, and this is what it says.
It says, "There's only one thing you gotta be in life,
yourself. Whatever you are be authentically that.
And the people who look, sound or think different from you,
love them for who they are.
Your dreams are worth dreaming.
Your songs are worth singing.
Your story is worth telling, just as it is.
Be proud of who you are and don't ever limit yourself.
I am Dolly Parton and I see the light
that shines within you."
(crowd applauds)
- Aww. It's so perfect for her too.
Like she's so that person.
Thank you so much, Brad.
(crowd applauds)
- Thank you so much again.
- All right, I'm liking your post right now.
And everybody be sure to pick up "I am Dolly Parton"
as well as another one of Brad's books, "I am I.M. Pei"
about famed Chinese American architect, I.M. Pei.
Um, that's not all though.
Our season long partner Pilot Pen, makers of G2,
the go-to pen of "The Kelly Clarkson Show,"
want to honor ultimate overachievers just like you.
So, they're gonna be writing a check for a thousand dollars
to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in your honor.
The Imagination Library helps inspire a love for reading
early in life by gifting books, to children five and under
for free, which is amazing.
Uh, thank you so much, Brad.