Hamessley has contributed to more than 15 media outlets reporting on the legacy of Parton, and her thoughts have been shared with a combined audience of more than 5 million people, including television interviews with CNN, CNN International, the BBC, and several U.K. and U.S. public radio stations.
On the California NPR station KQED, Hamessley joined a roundtable discussion about Parton’s impact on the world of music and how she brought so many people together from all walks of life. The Conversation Weekly, a podcast produced by the U.S. Conversation, spoke with Hamessley about Parton’s impact on the world of country music and her vocal influences.
“I heard so many resonances in her music of old-timey Appalachian or mountain music,” Hamessley said. “Her expressive way of singing felt like she had grown up hearing people singing in a particular way that had such a heart to it and such a power to her voice.”
The History Channel turned to Hamessley in their exploration of Parton’s legacy, particularly as it relates to her founding of Dollywood and the wide-spread growth of Dolly as a brand, and shining a light on rural Appalachia.
“She saw the park as a chance to revitalize the area she loved. In opening Dollywood, she created job opportunities and a steady tourist stream for years to come,” Hamessley said.
Part of Hamessley’s work in writing Unlikely Angel: The Songs of Dolly Parton (2020) included personally interviewing the icon. On the popular Substack podcast What to Watch with Kate Casey, Casey said that after hearing of Parton’s death, she returned to an interview with Hamessley in 2020 to listen to the stories about some of Parton’s most famous songs.
“We knew Dolly Parton without really knowing very much about Dolly Parton,” Casey reflected. “Lydia thought that was part of the reason so many different kinds of people could love her. Dolly didn’t tell you what to think. She wasn’t constantly telling you about her private life. People could see something of themselves in her.”
In response to Parton’s death, several public broadcasting stations in the U.S. and the U.K. aired the 2019 BBC documentary, Dolly Parton: Here I Am. Hamessley appeared throughout that film, which also included interviews with Jane Fonda, Mac Davis, and Lily Tomlin. “Everyone seems to love Dolly,” Hamessley said.
Hamessley wrote a second book, Dolly Parton’s Jolene (2025) that was a deep dive into the history of the song that included an analysis of the lyrics and music as well as various covers and answer songs.
In all her scholarship and media appearances, Hamessley foregrounds Dolly’s music, asserting that Dolly most wanted to be remembered as a songwriter.
Posted September 3, 2026
