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Dolly Parton's Doctor Paid in Cornmeal
27 Aug
Summary
- Dolly Parton's birth doctor was paid with cornmeal, not money.
- Her father, Robert Lee Parton, made the unique payment.
- Dr. Thomas was a missionary doctor serving remote mountain communities.
Country music legend Dolly Parton's early life in rural Tennessee was marked by significant scarcity.
Born on January 19, 1946, Parton was one of 12 children in a family where financial resources were often lacking. Her birth itself is remembered for an unusual detail: the medical professional who delivered her was paid with a sack of cornmeal.
Her father, Robert Lee Parton, made this payment to Dr. Robert F. Thomas, a missionary doctor serving the remote mountain communities. This act of payment underscored the family's inability to afford conventional fees at the time.
Dr. Thomas played a notable role in Parton's childhood, and she later paid tribute to him in her 1973 song "Dr Robert F Thomas." The song appeared on her album 'My Tennessee Mountain Home.'
Parton's upbringing in a one-room cabin, with her father working as a farmer, deeply influenced her music. Songs like 'Coat of Many Colors' drew directly from these experiences of making do with limited resources.
