David Carroll

Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80. She had been battling illness for the past several months. 2026 was a milestone year for Dolly, marking her 80th birthday, the 60th anniversary of her marriage to the late Carl Dean, the 40th anniversary of Dollywood, and the 30th anniversary of her Imagination Library. Born January 19, 1946, in Sevierville, Tennessee, Dolly Rebecca Parton rose from humble beginnings in the Great Smoky Mountains to become one of the most successful people in the entertainment world. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she has written such classics as “Jolene,” “Love is Like a Butterfly,” and “I Will Always Love You,” the latter becoming a worldwide hit when recorded by Whitney Houston.

People of a certain age enjoy telling our younger friends how things were so much better when we were kids. Of course, they always have a snappy comeback or two. “Oh yeah, life was good before seat belts, right? Y’all must have really enjoyed breathing all that polluted air. I’ll bet it was fun watching 3 black and white TV channels.”

Ivividly remember my first flight. Chattanooga to Memphis, in the late 1960s. My oldest sister had moved there, and my mom and I went to see her. As a kid, I was fascinated. The plane was just like I had seen in the commercials: smiling stewardesses fetching me food and drinks, and space age transportation much like the Jetsons cartoons.

More than a few times over the years, I’ve filled this space with “Facebook Fails” or “Autocorrect Accidents,” a collection of unfortunate misspellings. These word mishaps are caused by technology, confusion, a lack of spelling smarts, or all of the above. I have earned a reputation in my workplace as a stickler when it comes to spelling.

Let’s explore the origin of some common sayings. After writing several columns about sayings like, “Sight for Sore Eyes” and “Don’t Fly Off the Handle,” many of you suggested some others. Did your parents ever say, “Well, That Takes the Cake!” Remember the cake walks of your childhood? In the 19th century, community dance contests awarded an actual cake to the winners, cementing “take the cake” as the result of achieving first place honors. Of course, if you were a superb dancer, winning the competition was a piece of cake, right? And winning the cakewalk while leisurely strolling proved how easy it was. That’s why a political candidate who gets 80 percent of the vote is said to have won “in a cakewalk.”

Back in 1975, Tom T. Hall sang, “I like beer, it makes me a jolly good fellow. I like beer, it helps me unwind and makes me feel mellow. Whiskey’s too rough, Champagne costs too much, vodka puts my mouth in gear. This little refrain should help me explain, as a matter of fact, I like beer.” Up until then, Tom T. and I agreed on almost everything. We both loved old dogs, watermelons, little baby ducks, and pickup trucks. But we parted company on beer.

Igenerally limit my column to one topic. Sure, I often veer off course, but I always return to the main topic. It’s like when I’m on a road trip to Cincinnati. When I see a Shoney’s sign, I will go out of my way to get a hot fudge cake. But I always end up in Cincinnati. Having said that, let’s explore a few recent diversions.

Atlanta Braves fans are familiar with the names Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, and Chris Sale. These are among the many All-Star players we cheer for at Truist Park 81 games a year. All of those guys get plenty of media coverage, becoming household names among baseball fans. But there are so many people off the field who deserve our praise as well. From the parking lot attendants, to the food workers, ushers, security officers and more. I can’t leave out the video, radio, and social media crew, the in-game entertainment staff, world-class TV broadcaster Brandon Gaudin, and opera singer Timothy Miller, who delivers perfect renditions of “God Bless America” at Sunday home games.

When I speak to high school classes about my career, students usually ask, “Who’s the most famous person you have ever seen?”