Syrie James

Dolly Parton once gave me a private concert and made me a sandwich.

True story.

In 1999 I was a young screenwriter in an exciting phase of my career (before I turned to writing books). An executive at CBS was looking for the right person to write the script for a TV movie based on a story idea that Dolly Parton had pitched. I was invited to meet Dolly at the studio “to see if we clicked.”

Dolly’s movie premise, entitled “Heavens to Betsy,” was to be about a country singer named Betsy (to be played by Dolly of course) who was on the road with her band and singing trio when, after a head injury due to a bus accident, she awakened with a psychic gift that gave her flashes of the future. Dolly’s inspiration was her own mother’s uncanny psychic gift.

Once, Dolly told me, when she was young, her mother had been awakened in the middle of the night by a vision that one of her sons had just been in a motorcycle accident on a lonely country road. Sure enough, they found Dolly’s brother exactly where her mother had predicted and rescued him. That kind of premonition, Dolly said, was typical for her mother.

The moment I walked into that meeting room and met Dolly I was enchanted. A charming, whip smart, down-to-earth, funny, and thoughtful woman who was even more petite and beautiful in person than in print, her personality filled the room. Dolly and I instantly connected on her story and subject, in part because I’ve had a bunch of uncanny visions myself of future events that have come true. (That part of my history is for another story.)

We sat side by side on a couch talking nonstop for a solid hour, completely forgetting about the studio execs and producers in the room who were silently watching and listening. When the meeting ended, I had a deal to write the script, and a meeting set up with Dolly… at her home.

Yes, Dolly invited me to her house in Bel Air, just the two of us, to continue our conversation and to introduce me to the music for the movie. She warned me, “It’s not a mansion or anything like I have in Tennessee, just a house.” In fact it was a grand, stunning home set on a huge lot. Her husband, Carl Dean, famously didn’t like mixing with strangers so he took refuge in a back room.

Dolly picked up her guitar. We sat down on her couch in her living room and she sang me 14 original songs that she’d written for the movie. I had a private concert by the legendary Queen of Country Music! Every song was new and unique, some funny, others heart wrenching, and all wonderful. A CD exists somewhere with all the songs (if only I could find it!) and I kept copies of all her original lyrics. It was an unforgettable moment that I often play over in my mind, wondering, did that really happen?? It did.

We talked more about her vision for the movie’s story, and then we had lunch in Dolly’s kitchen. She apologized for not having a “staff” on duty that day but insisted that she preferred to make her own sandwiches. She offered me a choice between bologna on Wonder Bread (her absolute lifelong favorite!) or turkey on wheat bread. I picked turkey. She had bologna. We ate lunch at her kitchen table. It was delicious, and the girl talk was magnetic. We shared about our lives, our marriages, our plans and dreams, and why she always wore wigs. (“It’s so much easier and faster than styling my own hair,” she explained. “This way, I never have a bad hair day, only a big one.”)

She wanted to hear all about my children. I mentioned that both of my teenaged sons were starring in the Brentwood High School production of “South Pacific” that opened soon. I was thrilled that my eldest son Ryan was playing Emile de Becque, and my younger son Jeff was playing Lt. Joseph Cable. Dolly asked if she could see a performance. What?? Are you serious? Of course, you can! I told her.

Incredibly, Dolly came to my house one evening before the show to meet my family (why didn’t I take pictures??) before attending the performance of “South Pacific” at Brentwood School. She wore a black cocktail dress, black pumps, and a short blonde wig. Her husband stayed in their motor home parked in the school lot. When she walked into the theatre, a buzz went around the entire place. “Dolly Parton is in the audience!!” After the show, she gave my sons flowers. Wow! What a classy lady.

When I finished writing the script and turned it in, Dolly sent me a FAX (remember those?) telling me how much she loved it. She wrote, “I wanted to let you know before I contacted anyone else that I think you are brilliant… You’re even better than they said. No matter what happens with it or what gets done to it, I think it’s wonderful stuff.”

I kept a copy of that FAX. 🙂

I had a few more meetings with Dolly, the studio execs, and the producers of the film as I wrote more drafts. Everyone was excited about the movie. But like so many of the screenwriting projects I worked on in those days (I sold or had optioned more than 20 scripts for TV and film over the years), it didn’t get the green light. A huge disappointment. But it was typical for Hollywood, where at the time, so many projects were developed that only about 3% – 5% made it to the screen.

Dolly called me to share her disappointment that the movie wasn’t going to be made. It was a work of her heart, she said—a passion project—and she had loved working with me.

Working with Dolly Parton was one of the greatest privileges of my life. I was so deeply saddened to learn that she had recently passed away. Dolly was a beacon of love, light, laughter, music, creativity, and generosity who gave so much to the world over a long and illustrious career. There will never again be anyone like her.

Dolly, thank you so much for sharing your gifts of story, song, and friendship with me. I treasure the memories. Thank you coming to see my sons’ show—we were so honored by your presence. Thank you for the incredible private concert you gave me at your home. Thank you for making me that sandwich for a lunch I’ll never forget!

Now, I wish I’d chosen bologna on Wonder Bread. 🙂

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