New Bern Singer Erin Langley Says Dolly Parton’s Simple Storytelling, Philanthropy and Anthem ‘I Will Always Love You’ Shaped Her Own Approach to Music
NEW BERN, NC — Dolly Parton’s death prompted reflection from one New Bern musician who says the country legend’s songs and charitable work left a lasting mark on her life.
Erin Langley, a singer with the local band The Bonafides, said she has been singing Parton’s music since childhood and has long admired the way Parton turned plainspoken ideas into songs that land with listeners.
Langley described Parton as a storyteller who kept her music simple without losing emotional weight, pointing to the directness of songs that “hit you right in the heart.”
How Parton’s songs connected with Langley
Langley said music was always part of her upbringing. She grew up in a musical family, and she credits her uncle and grandfather with helping shape her own path toward performing.
Even with those influences, she said Dolly Parton songs were a constant in her life. That familiarity, she said, helped her connect to Parton not just as a star, but as someone whose work felt personal and easy to understand.
Parton’s style, Langley said, showed that songs do not need to be complicated to matter. For her, that was part of the appeal: the feeling that a strong melody and a clear story can be just as powerful as anything more elaborate.
The Bonafides are bringing a Dolly song to their next show
Langley said Parton’s influence will show up in an upcoming performance by The Bonafides, who play around the region. The band is set to launch a series called the American Songbook, with a set focused on music from the 1970s and 1980s.
As part of that show, the group plans to perform “I Will Always Love You,” one of Parton’s best-known songs. Langley said the selection fits both the concert’s theme and the band’s admiration for Parton’s legacy.
The performance will give the band a chance to honor an artist Langley sees as both a musical guide and a model for how to live publicly with purpose.
Why Langley sees Dolly as more than a music hero
For Langley, Parton’s impact went far beyond recording hit songs or winning 11 Grammys. She said Parton also stood out for her philanthropy, acting career and her Imagination Library program.
That combination resonated with Langley because she works for a nonprofit at the YMCA. She said Parton showed that it is possible to bring together creativity, service and personal purpose instead of treating them as separate parts of life.
Langley said her own goal is to keep making music and keep that creative spark alive. When she thinks about how to do that, she said the answer is simple: “What would Dolly do?”
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