Fans of Dolly Parton got some special treat when the country legend released two TV movies. The first one was released in December 2015, called Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors, based on Parton’s hit song of the same name released in 1971.
The song “Coat of Many Colors” tells the tale of how Parton’s mother, Avie Lee, stitched a coat together using rags that had been given to them. Her mother weaved it in with the story of Joseph and his “coat of many colors.” While the school kids made fun of Parton in the song, she shared the moral that “poor” people are only that way if they choose to be. The Partons may have no money, but the coat was full of riches for the young country legend.
The film covered a lot of the same territory but has become quite the delight for Parton’s fans. It expanded beyond the song to cover the country queen’s childhood and some of the hardships Parton faced growing up in Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains back in 1955.
In 2019, the film got a sequel called Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love.
Rising star Alyvia Alyn Lind played as a nine-year-old Dolly Parton in the movie. When Lind auditioned for the role of “Little Dolly,” she nailed it enough that Parton wanted to be the one who would tell her that she got the part herself! Lind thought she was meeting with more executives about the movie, but Parton walked in with some amazing news!
First, she gave the little blonde girl a big hug, then Parton sat her down and said, “What we’re really here to do is to announce that you have been chosen to play little Dolly in the movie.” Lind can’t believe it and immediately covered her mouth to hide her huge smile. “Oh my gosh!…Yes! This is so cool!” was her response while fidgeting in her seat out of pure excitement!
Dolly Parton and Alyvia Lind Teamed Up For a Moving Duet
Flashback to five years ago, Dolly Parton and her mini-me Alyvia Lind melted so many hearts when they appeared together in the Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family.
When the hosts asked Parton about a song in the film called “Angel Hill,” the country queen revealed that she had actually written the tune for a little while, but was only able to record it when the movie was being made. Lind also lent her vocals to the track.
The hosts asked Parton and Lind if they could perform “Angel Hill” together, and the two happily obliged. Producers brought out stools for them, which Lind could barely jump on because she was so small. The two then went on singing the heartbreaking song. Lind sang with the country superstar for the chorus, and Parton took the lead during the verses.
“Angel Hill” is Parton’s beautiful tribute to his brother Larry Parton, who passed away only four days after being born.
“A big portion of the movie was based on us losing one of my little brothers. There were so many of us, we were being born right after another, so Mama would always tell one of the older ones, ‘Well, this baby’s gonna be yours,’ because that meant we’d have to take extra time, get up and rock it or whatever. The baby Mama was carrying was gonna be my baby, and when I was her age, I was nine, so we lost that baby, and I was so brokenhearted.”
She calls the place where Larry is buried “Angel Hill,” and it makes us tear up every time she sings:
“I’ll meet you in heaven if it be God’s will. My angel, my angel, I’ll meet you in heaven. I can’t wait until.”
You can watch the moving duet of Dolly Parton and Alyvia Lind in the video below.
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Alyvia Lind, Dolly Parton