Unlikely Angel
The Songs of Dolly Parton
by Lydia R. Hamessley
University of Illinois Press
Biographies & Memoirs | Entertainment
Pub Date 16 Sep 2020

I am reviewing a copy of Unlikely Angel through University of Illinois Press and Netgalley:


I’n 1964 Dolly Parton went to New York with her senior class to see the hit musical Hello, Dolly! Just three years later Dolly’s first solo album was released. It was titled Hello, I’m Dolly.


Dolly was born on January 19, 1946, in Sevier County, Tennessee. When Dolly was thirteen, Uncle Bill arranged for her to cut a demo record, “Puppy Love,” a rockabilly style, bubblegum pop tune Dolly had cowritten with him two years earlier.


Dolly Parton's success as a performer and pop culture phenomenon has overshadowed her achievements as a songwriter. But she sees herself as a songwriter first, and with good reason. Parton's compositions like "I Will Always Love You" and "Jolene" have become American standards with an impact far beyond country music.




From an early age Dolly Parton saw herself as a songwriter more than a performer. She writes her songs from experience, leaving for deep and meaningful lyrics, which is why many of her songs top the charts.


When Dolly left the mountains in 1964, she knew she was making an unusual move for an 18-year-old girl at that time: Dolly returns to hymns and scripture in her songs when events shake her faith, as she did in “Raven Dove” and “Hello God.” In these responses to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Dolly makes no direct references to the events of 9/11, unlike most popular and country songs about that day. With spiritual rather than patriotic lyrics, these songs are not on lists of 9/11 songs found online. Dolly’s songs encompass feelings of fear, frustration, and hope greater than just a response to a specific event.


In this book Lydia R. Hamessley’s expert of analysis of how Dolly Parton’s characteristically straightforward input inform this comprehensive look at the process, influences, and themes that have shaped the superstar's songwriting artistry. She talks about how Parton’s loving, hardscrabble childhood in the Smoky Mountains provided the musical language, rhythms, and memories of old-time music that resonate in so many of her songs.


I found that Unlikely Angel was a powerful story of how Dolly Parton’s music has touched many.


I give Unlikely Angel five out of five stars !


Happy Reading!

If you're a fan of Dolly Parton, this book would be for you. Using some of her previously recorded songs, the author gives us a glimpse into Mrs. Parton's life from childhood all the way through her career. There were a lot of things I had no idea about her and I thought it was a very good and interesting read.

If you're looking for a book that goes into detail of Dolly's life and how she got started this book is for you. It goes into detail about her journey and how she is a wonderful songwriter. Her accomplishments are extraordinary. She may be flashy on the outside but she's so much more than that image.

Much has been written about Dolly Parton, but “Unlikely Angel” takes readers on a journey to understand her creative process of songwriting. Despite her being known as an entertainer, she sees herself as a songwriter first, and with good reason.

The author, Lydia Hamessley, explains how Dolly’s childhood has shaped her ability to tell stories through music. And as a music expert and historian, Lydia educates the reader on Dolly’s life but also what it takes to create music that moves people. That said, I didn’t follow all of the music theory knowledge, but I appreciate the lyrics and podcast that accompanies the book.

I think this will be a great read for all lovers of music, not just those who grew up listening to country.

Dolly Parton is so much more than the parts of herself that she puts out there for public consumption. By all accounts, she is smart, savvy and has a heart of gold. She is also creative as all get out, writing songs at a crazy pace. At last count, she had penned over 3000 songs. She finds her inspiration in the people around her, people she knew in her childhood, songs she was raised on brought from other countries (usually called murder ballads) as well as stories of other people's hardships.

This book is a fascinating look behind the curtain, and I literally kept a list of songs I wanted to look up and listen to as I progressed through the book. It's difficult to make progress through a book when one is constantly sucked down the rabbit-hole of songs. I have been a fan of Dolly's from an early age, and this book has strengthened my admiration. She is a creative genius with a sharp eye for what make people tick, how their hearts beat and what motivates them.

Any fan of Dolly's will find this book to be enlightening, intriguing and a valuable addition to their library.

I was granted an ARC by the publisher and NetGalley, but I have every intention of buying a copy.
You should too!

When you hear the name Dolly Parton, most think of her extensive music recordings and her outstanding sond=g writing skills. Lydia Hamessley has taken this first response and centered her biography of Dolly as a music icon around her songs and music. At some point, most of us have been affected by one of Dolly's songs, whether we knew it was hers or not. Unlikely Angel gives us the background of Dolly's life as it was lived at the time of the recording. It's a unique approach to a biography and would not work with a less talented entertainer. I've already shared/ recommended the book with everyone I know who listens to music, country or not.

This was a really good book about the life of Dolly Parton through her song writing. I have always known that Dolly was a song writer but I didn't realize how prolific her song writing is.

I didn't always understand what the author was explaining when she referenced the musical methods and concepts that Dolly uses but that did not take away from my enjoyment of this book.

I recommend this book for anyone that appreciates the vast scope of Dolly Parton's career and wants to learn more about her song writing and the stories that shaped her music.

Dolly Parton is an Unlikely Angel and a prolific songwriter. She has written literally thousands of songs. In fact, she vows, “I write everyday. I will do that till the day I die, whether anybody buys them or hears those songs till after I’m dead. I’m dead serious about my music.”

Unlikely Angel is an in-depth look into both the music itself and Dolly’s own songwriting process. As the book states, Dolly herself claims “her creativity is a ‘God-given gift’ her songwriting talent comes from God, and she is serious about her stewardship of that spiritual gift.” Emmylou Harris, another country queen who sang with Dolly on two albums, agrees, “I’ve never seen someone so spontaneously creative. ... With Dolly, it’s like the songs come out whole.”

I enjoyed the book’s short biography of Dolly in the beginning and the inside look into Dolly’s writing process. There is an intriguing look into Dolly’s jump into pop music and movies as just a way to fund her trip back into the country, bluegrass and mountain songs of her youth. Dolly truly is no “Dumb Blonde”.

The deep dive into her music made me realize why this book was published by the University of Illinois. The six Listening Outlines of Dolly’s songs plop me straight back to papers I wrote in my two semesters of Music Appreciation. To be honest, if my college had offered a class called Music Appreciation of Dolly, I would have used up another elective to take it.

If you are a songwriter or aspiring to be one, Unlikely Angel is a great tool to put in your music toolbox. In addition, fans of Dolly who want to know more about how she writes will be blown away by the details revealed here in this well-researched music biography. 4 stars!

Thanks to University of Illinois Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

i really enjoyed reading this, it was great to kinda read about how Dolly Parton wrote her songs. It was an enjoyable read.

Unlikely Angel by Lydia Hamessley is a professional and comprehensive analysis of the songs of Dolly Parton with some background details which gives a valuable insight into the motivation and origins of her best known songs as well as some of the lesser-known ones too.

The book outlines the phases of Dolly’s career from starting off, through the Porter Wagner years (including her struggle to end their working relationship) to her more commercial records and back to her more traditional albums. The author also classifies and analyses the songs by themes examining the lyrics, the song style and the musical structure with listening guides for some of the most important songs.

This is an impressive publication for fans of all types of music not just Dolly Parton.

If you are looking to read about Dolly Parton's personal life, childhood, business ventures, or various philanthropic endeavors you would do well to search out a more wide-scoped biography. If you want to read about Dolly as a feminist icon, you may want to read Sarah Smarsh's recently released She Come By It Natural. If you want to dive into her musical processes, then THIS is the book for you. Music professor Lydia R. Hamessley focuses on Parton's songs and "mountain music heritage," not her image. The massive compilation of research and endless details included in this book made me appreciate the amazing woman who is Dolly Parton all the more, like the facts that Parton has written over 3000 songs and over 450 have been recorded! A must read for any musician or Dolly fan!

Unlikely Angel: The Songs of Dolly Parton is a beautiful book about Dolly Parton and her music.  Dolly fans will more than likely know most of the information in this book, but I found it an insightful look into her life.

In Unlikely Angel, Lydia R. Hamessley offers to scholars and fans alike a phenomenal exploration of what makes Dolly Parton a songwriter and musician unlike any other. Hamessley's choice to present Parton's songs not chronologically, but arranged by topic, offers to the reader the opportunity to explore the layered and sophisticated threads that are woven into Parton's music, those threads that make it uniquely "hers." This is an exhaustively researched, compulsively readable, wonderful addition to the Women Composers series.

Unlikely Angel by Lydia Hamessley - musicologist and professor at Hamilton College - is an engaging catalogue of what is most important about Dolly Parton’s epic life: her songwriting.

I read this book with the feverish reverie of Dolly Parton on a songwriting retreat! This book is a feel-good read for music lovers everywhere. Unlikely Angel at times challenges those without music theory knowledge to dive into the author’s analysis of Dolly’s work. I encourage those not fully “versed” in reading music to take the author’s advice and play each referenced song through whatever musical streaming service you prefer - it makes the book that much more fulfilling! Regardless, take heart in knowing that there’s something in this book for you, as Dolly herself doesn’t read music but still has the joy of writing over 3,000 songs in her life thus far!

As my last note, and a personal one at that - I originally requested to review this book out of love and nostalgia for my late grandparents, who created a country music home for me since I was born. It was such a treat realizing that I was going to be reading my previous music professor’s new book! Lydia Hammesley taught one of my favorite classes (Music in American Film) at my Alma Mater in Central New York, and her writing in Unlikely Angel was like coming home! Carissima!

I received an ARC from the University of Illinois Press through NetGalley for an honest review. I have always loved Dolly's music and have been to many of her concerts. So when I discovered this book I instantly wanted to read it. It wasn't what I was expecting but in many ways, it far exceeded what I was expecting. There is a lot to Dolly's songs and there is a lot to Dolly's life and that is what the author shares with us. When I started reading the book, I thought the book was just facts but as I kept on reading, I began to think this is a nice way to write the book about Dolly Parton. It wasn't innuendos and gossip about Dolly, it was who Dolly is. It wasn't just what you see on the surface, the author took us many levels below the surface. After reading the book, it was amazing to see all her accomplishments in one place. I have snippets of her and her music and thought she had done a lot but this book puts all the snippets together and you realize all that she has done in her life. Once I got used to the style of writing I enjoyed this book very much.

This book tells the story’s behind some of Dolly Partons song, the process of her song writing and the challenges she has to overcome to become one of the greatest woman songwriters and performers in not only country but music world wide.

I liked this book. Looking at Dolly’s past and finding out so much about her songs and the way she can just put pen to paper and come up with so many songs is inspiring. I actually didn’t know most of what I read and found out that Dolly actually wrote a lot more than I realised. I think this book will be a great read for any Dolly fan or any fan that likes music history.

Thank you to University Of Illinois Press for this advanced copy.

Unlikely Angel provides an intense look at Dolly Patton’s life and writing style. I am a big Dolly fan and this book made me love her even more. The book is filled with tidbits of the backstory of her songs.

Dolly Parton is not only beautiful, but an accomplished musician, singer, and songwriter. This book explores the story behind some of her songs and shows a side of Parton that few people actually know.

I've always been a fan of Dolly Parton. I mean, who isn't ? You don't have to be a fan of country music to love her personality. She's the female version of Willie Nelson in my opinion.

We all know Dolly's store of how she grew up poor and how down to earth she is. What we don't know is she's written like over 1000 songs (don't remember the exact number). Although this is not technically a biography, Hamessley researched previous books and also spent time with Dolly as well as her personal assistant. Unlikely Angel focuses on Dolly's songs, not her life. For instance, her most famous song, "I will always love you" is not a love song. She also had a hard time starting out . She even had to conform for a few years and play music she wasn't into in order to get known. She was willing to do whatever she had to do to sell albums and make enough money in order to play the music she wanted to play.

I've given away a few tied bits of things that stood out to me but there are many more. There isn't much about her personal life if that's what you're into but if you love her music, you will learn quite a bit and what makes her tick.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion .

I have always had a keen interest in Dolly’s music, hence why this book attracted me. I’ve learnt so much from this book and listened to songs I’d never heard before. It is a very well written and researched book, with a wealth of interesting information. It is not a biography – if you’re looking for her life story then I suggest you find another title – this is part of the reason I enjoyed this book so much. It’s primarily about her songs, with input from Dolly herself on the story behind them, how successful they were and the how they shaped her career. Dolly’s input was obtained by a series of questions submitted to her by Hamessley, with much of the writing is her own words – you can even hear Dolly’s beautiful Appalachian dialect in your head as you read!

I would recommend this title to any music fans, but especially those who enjoy country music and/or have a love of all things Dolly!

Many thanks to University of Illinois Press and NetGalley for the free review copy. My review copy was electronic, and I expect a physical copy would make for a better reading experience as you would be able to fully enjoy the photographs throughout the book.