My son came to me with some news.
He told me Dolly Parton had died and I said I knew.
And then he got quiet for a second and said she loved me. She used to send me a lot of books.
I had to just look at him for a moment.
He was talking about the Imagination Library. The program where Dolly sends books to children every month from birth until they start school. Millions of kids across the country get these books.
My son believed that Dolly Parton personally knew him. That she had specifically selected each book, thought about him individually, put it in an envelope, and mailed it to our house every single month because she loved him specifically.
Not as part of a program. Not as one of millions of children. But because she and my son had a personal relationship and she was devoted to his literary development specifically.
And honestly when you think about it from a child's perspective that's not even an unreasonable conclusion. Books showed up every month with her name attached. She clearly cared. Why wouldn't she know him personally.
I didn't have the heart to fully correct him in that moment.
Because also he wasn't entirely wrong. She did love him. She loved all of them. She just loved a lot of children at once and had a very efficient system for showing it.
Rest easy Dolly. My son misses you personally.
💔😥 Samuel Monroe Jr., best known for his roles in "Menace II Society" and "The Players Club", has died at 52 from complications related to meningitis, his mother announced.
Three days took six legends, but decades of memories remain 🕊️
Between August 24 and 26, entertainment said goodbye to names whose work reached completely different generations.
Dolly Parton — A country music giant whose Jolene, 9 to 5, and I Will Always Love You became standards, while her philanthropy made her legacy much bigger than music.
Peter Cullen — For more than 40 years, his unmistakable voice gave Optimus Prime his strength, dignity and humanity. He was also beloved as Eeyore.
Tim Curry — Frank-N-Furter, Pennywise, Wadsworth, Nigel Thornberry and countless others. Few performers could be this funny, strange and terrifying across the same career.
Jaye P. Morgan — A successful singer who later became one of television’s most memorable personalities as a regular judge on The Gong Show.
Samuel Monroe Jr. — A familiar face from ’90s Black cinema through Menace II Society, Tales from the Hood, Set It Off and The Players Club.
Debbie “Storm” Clark — One of the unforgettable competitors who helped make American Gladiators larger than life for ’90s audiences.
A song. A voice. A character. A movie. A childhood memory.
That’s how people remain long after the dates beside their names stop changing.
Gone in the past three days, but permanently written into the things generations still love. ❤️
🕊️ Actor Samuel Monroe Jr. -- best known for his role in "Menace II Society" -- is dead after a battle with meningitis, according to his family. https://t.co/Hh08YuWU7M
"Somewhere in Tennessee, an Air Evac pilot flying back to base in Clarksville looked down and caught this from the sky: a corn maze cut in the shape of Dolly Parton, guitar and all. 💖
You’d never know it was there from the ground.
Nashville loves Dolly.
And apparently, so does this farmer" 🥰
📸: 615nav
Post by Tina Maria Adams
Again... We lost another legend today. 🥹
Samuel Monroe Jr., best known for his memorable roles in Menace II Society, Tales from the Hood, Set It Off, and The Players Club, has sadly passed away at the age of 52.
Throughout his career, Samuel became a familiar face in many popular films and television shows, leaving a lasting impression on fans of ’90s Black cinema.
His performances and contributions to film will continue to be remembered by generations of fans.
Rest in peace, Samuel Monroe Jr. 🕊️