Dolly Parton Donates $1 Million To Help Fund Vanderbilt’s Coronavirus Research

Dolly Parton has pledged a donation of $1 million to Nashville’s Vanderbilt University Medical Center to help fund research to…

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

April 1, 2020

12:32 pm

Dolly Parton; Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Dolly Parton has pledged a donation of $1 million to Nashville’s Vanderbilt University Medical Center to help fund research to find a cure for coronavirus (COVID-19).

The nine-time Grammy winner shared the announcement on Wednesday and encouraged others to donate to the cause if they are able.

“My longtime friend Dr. Naji Abumrad, who’s been involved in research at Vanderbilt for many years, informed me that they were making some exciting advancements towards research of the coronavirus for a cure,” Parton shared across her social media channels. “I am making a donation of $1 million to Vanderbilt towards that research and to encourage people that can afford it to make donations.”

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A post shared by Dolly Parton (@dollyparton)

Since the coronavirus outbreak began to hit the United States, Parton has used her voice to provide hope to fans via social media. She recently shared a video with an inspiring message to fans, assuring them that everything is going to be okay.

“I think that when this passes, we are gonna all be better people,” the beloved entertainer said. “I know that I have a positive attitude about it as negative as it seems to be right now. Just keep the faith. Don’t be too scared, it’s gonna be alright.”

Earlier this week, Parton announced that she will be reading bedtime stories to children once a week via the Imagination Library’s “Goodnight with Dolly” series. The 10-week series will feature Parton reading various books from the program to children and their families. The series will begin on Thursday, April 2 at 7 pm EST with the book The Little Engine That Could.

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.