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Introduction
In the past two years, Dolly Parton has captivated our hearts with two emotionally stirring television movies. The first, “Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors,” which debuted in December 2015, unveiled a deeply touching chapter from Dolly’s childhood when she resided in a modest cabin alongside her seven siblings.
During this period, Dolly’s mother was expecting another child—a baby that the entire family eagerly awaited, particularly young Dolly herself. In a heartfelt conversation on “Home & Family,” Dolly revealed why she felt an especially profound connection to this unborn brother, who tragically never survived.
“A major part of the movie focused on losing one of my little brothers,” Dolly shared with raw emotion. “In our family, babies came one right after another, so Mama would assign each new baby to one of the older children, telling us, ‘This baby will be yours’—which meant we’d take special responsibility, getting up during the night to rock them and such. The baby Mama was carrying was going to be mine. I was nine years old then, and when we lost that baby, I was completely heartbroken.”
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While pregnant, Dolly’s mother had been lovingly crafting a baby blanket from colorful fabric remnants for her soon-to-arrive son, whom they had planned to name Larry. Following Larry’s passing, both Dolly and her mother were consumed by grief. To soothe her devastated daughter, Dolly’s mother transformed the intended baby blanket into what would later become the legendary “coat of many colors.”
Years afterward, Dolly channeled her profound feelings about her brother’s death into a touching song titled “Angel Hill”—named after the family’s burial site for Larry. She felt the television movie offered the perfect opportunity to introduce this intensely personal composition, featuring the beautiful vocals of Alyvia Alyn Lind, the gifted young actress portraying young Dolly.
During the “Home & Family” appearance, when asked if they would perform “Angel Hill” together, Dolly and Alyvia enthusiastically agreed. The production team brought out stools for them, and it was absolutely precious watching little Alyvia struggle to climb onto hers. Throughout their touching duet, Dolly and Alyvia exchanged tender glances, with Alyvia joining Dolly for the chorus while Dolly performed the verses solo.