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Remembering Dolly Parton, college enrollment decline and the power of imagination
Dolly Parton performs on the Pyramid stage during day three of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton on June 29, 2014 in Glastonbury, England.
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Jim Dyson
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Getty Images
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Today's show: AirTalk host Larry Mantle discusses Dolly Parton's life and legacy, college enrollment decline and the power of imagination.
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Remembering the life and legacy of Dolly Parton
The topic:
Following the cancellation of her Las Vegas residency amid health concerns in September 2025, famous country singer-songwriter Dolly Parton has died after a brief battle with cancer. She was 80 years old and died peacefully in Nashville, according to her publicist. A post was shared on her official Instagram account, where her nephew Bryan Seaver broke the news.
Her prolific career: Known for her talented songwriting, witty humor and glamorous wardrobe, Dolly Parton’s career spanned more than 60 years. Getting her start on The Porter Wagoner Show as a singer and actress, Parton went on to compose more than 3,000 songs. Parton’s music solidified her as a country music superstar, and she had 25 No. 1 country singles, such as “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You” and “9 to 5.” Parton also appeared in numerous TV shows and films, rising to prominence with films such as 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Steel Magnolias. Dolly Parton was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and is the third-most-nominated woman in Grammy history, with 10 wins and 55 nominations.
Philanthropy and other ventures: Throughout her life, Dolly Parton supported various causes. She founded the Dollywood Foundation in 1986, which grants scholarships to students and hands out free books to children monthly through her Imagination Library program. She also co-owns The Dollywood Company, famously in charge of her own theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Parton has also raised money in the past for the American Red Cross, the Great Smoky Mountains wildfires, and for HIV/AIDS causes.
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Hello, I'm Dolly: In July 2026, Dolly collaborated as a producer in the making of Dolly: A True Original Musical. First premiering in Nashville, the musical is set to begin previews on Broadway, as confirmed by the show’s producers in light of the latest news.
Guests:
- Ann Powers, NPR music critic; she wrote the introduction for How Women Made Music: A Revolutionary History from NPR Music
- Mikael Wood, L.A. Times pop music critic
- Lydia Hamessley, professor of fine arts at Hamilton College in Kirkland, New York; she is the author of Unlikely Angel: The Songs of Dolly Parton (University of Illinois Press, 2020) and Dolly Parton's Jolene (Oxford University Press, 2025)
- Anthony Allen Ramos, vice president of communications & talent at GLAAD and executive producer of GLAAD Media Awards
- John Boylan, longtime manager for Linda Ronstadt, helped with the remaster of Trio and Trio 2, and was also inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2026 alongside Dolly Parton
- Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy
- Rita Moreno, EGOT-winning actor who played Violet Newstead in the 9 to 5 TV series opposite Dolly Parton's sister Rachel Dennison, and appears in the documentary, Still Working 9 to 5
Listeners share their memories of Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton on the set of the Oprah Winfrey Show in Chicago, Illinois, February 2, 1987.
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Paul Natkin
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Getty Images
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The topic:
The last hour of AirTalk was dedicated entirely to hearing from those who knew Dolly Parton or closely followed her work. This hour we want to hear from you: what about Dolly stood out to you? What did she mean to you?
Join the conversation: Whether it’s her songs, her on-screen appearances or her advocacy, we want to hear what impact she made on your life. Give us a call at (866) 893-5722, or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com.
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America’s colleges prepare for enrollment declines
The Cal State Long Beach campus in Long Beach on April 24, 2024.
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Jules Hotz
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CalMatters
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The topic:
Despite college enrollment in the United States peaking in the fall 2025, campuses across the country are preparing for major drops in enrollment over the next two decades, primarily attributed to the decline of birthrates, which could pose a variety of factors in admission rates and decisions.
Local impact: Although the Ivy League and other big public flagship universities are maintaining their competitive edge in admissions, many of California’s community colleges that feed into Cal State campuses are beginning to struggle with attracting new students.
Join the conversation: Have you or your child gone through the robust California university admissions process? Give us a call at (866) 893-5722 or email us at atcomments@laist.com.
Guests:
- Dick Startz, distinguished professor of economics at UC Santa Barbara
- April Grommo, assistant vice chancellor for the Cal State University system
A new book looks at the power of imagination
How does imagination play a role in your life?
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Benjavisa
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iStockphoto
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Sponsored message
The topic:
Imagination isn’t just for kids on the playground, nor is it only a muse we use when creating art. It’s how we fill in the gaps of reality that we can’t perceive. Today on AirTalk, we look at how imagination plays a hidden role in our lives, and how to better harness its potential.
Perception’s perils: Think about visualizing your hand and then actually looking at it. Chances are, your visualization was lacking some detail that your imagination had to fill in. Your brain is constantly doing a similar exercise for nearly every facet of your life.
Memory’s fault: This also affects your memory, as the way you choose to frame things when recalling them shapes how you’ll recall them later.
The book: In her book Imagine That, author Cassandra Vieten lays out how imagination works and how being aware of its gap-filling potential can allow you to better use it in your daily life.
Guest:
- Cassandra Vieten, licensed clinical psychologist and clinical professor of family medicine at UC San Diego, where she is director of research at the Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination; her book is Imagine That: Unlocking the Science of Imagination to Transform the Way You Think, Feel, and Live (Simon Element, 2026)
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
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