Two weeks ago, I asked if there are any celebrities who inspire people like Dolly Parton did. Could anyone else elicit such an outpouring of love? Today, I’ll share your thoughts, and mine.
Dolly is a tough act to follow. Her lifetime record of kindness and generosity may be impossible to replicate. According to the New York Times, seventy percent of Americans expressed a favorable view of Dolly in a Umass/YouGov poll in March 2026, the highest approval rate for any living person. I’d like to have a word with the other thirty percent, who probably also frown on puppies, homegrown tomatoes, and a cool summer breeze.
Dolly had just turned 80 when she died, so I will shine the spotlight on other octogenarians, and a few folks in their 90s and beyond.
Cher was among the most suggested names. She, too, is 80, and is among the few living ladies whose longevity as a hitmaker compares to Dolly. They have a lot in common. Both began making records in their teens, both were notable for their choice of attire, and both branched out into movies and television. I don’t think Cher will ever build amusement parks and convenience stores, but I do know she was one of Dolly’s most fervent admirers.
Diana Ross, at 82, is another national treasure who is still touring and drawing crowds more than sixty years after making her recording debut. Like Cher, she hasn’t been quite as accessible as Dolly in recent years, but she has certainly made a lasting mark on the world.
In the world of country music, if Dolly was the Queen, Willie Nelson would certainly be the King. The 93-year-old “outlaw” is on the road, again. During a random week in September, he is doing two shows in Virginia, one in Connecticut, and another in Pennsylvania. Dolly attributed her 8-decade run of good health to “southern comfort” food. Willie says his secret to a long life is a diet of “oatmeal in the morning, and bacon and eggs in the evening.” I know what you’re thinking. What about Willie’s well-earned reputation for marijuana use, around the clock? Willie told People magazine, “I can’t smoke weed anymore, but I do ingest some edibles.” Plus, he has created a THC-infused drink called “Willie’s Remedy.” I can’t argue with the results, folks.
Many Americans are inspired by a quintet of well-preserved British rock stars: Rolling Stones Mick Jagger (83) and Keith Richards (82), former Beatles Paul McCartney (84) and Ringo Starr (86), and Elton John (almost 80).
All are still recording and performing. Jagger’s trademark energy is still on display at live shows, and as for Richards, as the joke goes, after a nuclear war, the only survivors will be cockroaches, Cher, and Keith Richards. Richards’ pharmaceutical history is legendary, but somehow it works for him.
McCartney doesn’t just put on a concert. He’s on stage singing dozens of his hits for a solid two hours and forty minutes. As for Starr, I’ll be seeing him this month at his “All-Starr Band” show in Washington, DC. He’s like the Energizer Bunny, doing calisthenics on stage. It will be an honor to see the world’s youngest 86-year-old drummer promoting his agenda of peace and love.
Elton John has “retired” more than once. But he’s still donning the outsized sunglasses and the colorful coats, giving audiences what they want.
81-year-old Steve Martin is still one of the world’s sharpest comedy minds, and his shows with Martin Short (comedy tours around the nation and “Only Murders” on Hulu) are a testament to his creativity and energy.
Harrison Ford, at 84, has been a superstar since the days of “American Graffiti” and “Star Wars.” In recent years, he’s dominated in comedy too, in “Shrinking” on Apple TV.
I’m thankful that Barbra Streisand (84), Alan Alda (90), Carol Burnett (93), William Shatner (95), Mel Brooks (100), and Dick Van Dyke (100) are still among us. They entertained me when I was a kid. That was a long time ago.
Are any of them “the next Dolly?” That may be an impossible task. But each are good examples in their own way, and I’m thankful they are still setting the bar at a high level.
