A lot has been said, written, and recorded about the singer and entertainer Dolly Parton. We concentrate on what she said herself. No chance to do this covering all the CDs she released with her music, all the songs she wrote herself, also interpreted by other artists, and all the books she wrote about her life.
She seems to have received every honour possible during her career; she met the English Queen and US-Presidents, her social engagement was praised by the usual suspects and unexpected donors like Jeff Bezos, who is said to have supported her causes with 100 Mio. US$ in the early 2020s.
She built a theme park called Dollywood in her dirt-poor home region celebrating her origins from a hard-working country family. She never lost track of where she came from, a dreamer with an iron will. Not to forget her songs, sung in that familiar clear voice, so beautiful to behold.
Checking her English Wikipedia entry (date: 31st of August, 2025) she published at least 15 books, 8 movies, and a great lot of CDs, studio albums, albums with other artists, single releases and so on.
I only use a few here, one of her latest books from 2023 “Dolly Parton, Behind the Seams, My Life in Rhinestones”, her 1994 autobiography “Dolly, My Life and other Unfinished Business” and 2 of her CDs.
Some of the songs, like “I will always love you” became more famous when sung by somebody else, in this case Whitney Huston. This made Dolly Parton in the early 1990s richer through licencing than through the success of her own CDs. Today her net worth is estimated of half a billion US $. Her empire includes a cosmetic line and perfumes and many other businesses.
Naturally there are also plenty of documentaries on Dolly Parton, many interviews, and all those recordings of her concerts. In one of the documentaries that I watched the moderator said: “Everybody likes Dolly Parton”. Whilst certainly some people do not like the person or the music, few criticise her openly. That is a great success in todays’ social media driven world for someone who stays true to herself and does not try to be everybody’s darling.
Whilst some frown on her looks, she won most through her crystal-clear honesty. Plastic surgery: yes, a lot. Because she tries to be beautiful? No, because she wants to look like she wants to look. And no one else defined that look for her. If one does not care at all about the person, one can still simply listen to the music, the songs full of knowledge about life, the good and the bad times, and about human nature.
In “Dolly Parton, Behind the Seams, My Life in Rhinestones” one can indulge for a while in her stage appearances and the look she decided for herself. There are the wigs, the nails and the form fitting glittering clothes. Big boobs, slim waist, big blond hair and clothes so far away from her poor mountain upbringing as possible. Her look has not changed much over the years. Its very feminine and over the top. She was always daring. One of the glittering outfits shown in the book is also on the cover of her autobiography. A dress by Tony Chase, inspired by the dress worn by Marylin Monroe in 1962 to President Kennedy’s birthday party. The CDs feature a picture from the earlier 1970s/1980s country period and one from the later style 2010 leather period. The easiest help in dating Dolly Parton pictures is through her wigs.
Dolly Parton decided all her life about herself and kept a liberal posture in a conservative region. Whilst she defended her liberal views, she led a rather traditional married life with her husband for 60 years. He died in March 2025, which must have hit the almost 80-year Dolly Parton terribly hard. She never wanted children of her own, but did a lot for children around her, be it to those of her 11 siblings or strangers though her charity work.
In the 1970s Dolly Parton decided to become independent from her discoverer Porter Wagoner and when he sued her, she paid part of a debt that she probably could have challenged and stayed on friendly terms with him as she wrote in “Dolly, My Life and other Unfinished Business”. Her attitude to life is one of live and let live. She was always seen as a steel butterfly, with the colours and the strength to go on against all odds. The butterfly became her signature. She did her thing, clearly aimed at doing the best for her art and herself, but never aimed against somebody else. Concentrating on oneself does not mean to diminish others. One can follow one’s own path and climb to phenomenal heights.
There are many examples showing Dolly Parton to be very resilient, very smart. One quote in her autobiography (page 193) that describes her life and lifestyle perfectly, reads: “You know, money don’t make you smart. Money don’t make you happy. But it can make you comfortable if you are smart enough to be happy. That’s as happy as I need to be (…) Don’t ever miss a chance to have fun.”
Congratulations, Dolly Parton, to your lifetime achievements and hope you inspire many more people through your example!
All rights to the books and CDs belong to:
Parton, Dolly: Dolly, My Life and Other Unfinished Business, 1994, published by HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 10 East Stree 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022, ISBN: 0-06-017720-9
Parton, Dolly: Dolly Parton, Behind the Seams, My Life in Rhinestones, 2023, with Holly George-Warren, curated by Rebecca Seaver, published by Ebury Press, an imprint of Ebury Publishing (part of the Penguin Random House UK), 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, SW1V 2 SA, printed and bound in China, ISBN: 9781529915587
Dolly Parton, The Collection, 2004, Spectrum Music, copyright by UMG Recordings Inc, a Universal Music Company
Dolly Parton, The Essential, 2010 Sony Music Entertainment & 2005 Sony Music Entertainment, RCA & Legacy are trademarks of Sony Music Entertainment