49 Heartwarming Facts About Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton is a legend. As a country-pop great, she's produced enduring classics like “I Will Always Love You” and “9 to 5.” As an actress, she's appeared in beloved movies such as "Steel Magnolias." As a mogul, she’s built her own theme park -- and worked to make the world a better place.

1. She's 100% Committed to Being Dolly Parton

"I'll be this way when I'm 80," Dolly Parton told Ladies' Home Journal in 1995. "... I'll have my high heels, my nails and makeup on, my hair'll be all poufed up and my [breasts]'ll still be hangin' out."

In 2021, Parton turned 75 in style, and released a new single, "Words," with Bee Gees icon Barry Gibb. So, yes, she was staying true to the vow she made in a magazine interview a quarter-century earlier.

"It's not a big job being Dolly," she said back in the day. "It's just my life."

2. Her Husband Keeps a Very Low Profile -- and She Loves Him for It

In an interview with “Entertainment Tonight,” Dolly Parton said that "a lot of people" think her longtime husband isn't real because they never see him.

In reality, Carl Dean, whom she wed in 1966, is just a reserved person who prefers to stay out of the spotlight. "I've always respected and appreciated that in him," Parton told "ET," and I've always tried to keep him out of the limelight as much as I can.”

3. She Gave the World a Shot in the Arm

In 2020, Dolly Parton donated $1 million to spur COVID-19 research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The Tennessee campus eventually helped produce the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

Vanderbilt’s Dr. Naji Abumrad, a friend of Parton’s, told the Washington Post that his famous pal's seed money "made the research toward the vaccine go 10 times faster than it would be without it."

4. She Had the Last Laugh on "Dumb Blonde" Jokes

“I know people make fun of me," Dolly Parton told Barbara Walters in 1977. "All these years, people think the joke has been on me but it’s actually been on the public. I know exactly what I’m doing."

That she did. One of Parton's earliest records, in fact, was called "Dumb Blonde."

The song's lyrics include the lines, "Just because I'm blonde/Don't think I'm dumb/'Cause this dumb blonde ain't nobody's fool."

And while she didn't write "Dumb Blonde," her voice helped it soar -- the 1967 track was her first solo country single.

5. She's Totally Honest About How She Stays Looking "Totally Real"

Dolly Parton has long been outspoken about doing what she has to do to maintain her look, including plastic surgery. “It is true that I look artificial, but I believe that I'm totally real," she told “CBS Sunday Morning.”

In another interview with London's Guardian, Parton said, "If something is bagging, sagging or dragging, I'll tuck it, suck it or pluck it.”

6. Legally Speaking, She's NOT Dolly Parton

When Dolly Parton married Carl Dean, she took Dean's last name, and legally became Dolly Parton Dean.

That's the name, in fact, she uses when she signs contracts.

7. She Flipped Her Wig Over Wigs

Dolly Parton has been wearing wigs on stage dating back to the 1960s. She began the practice after becoming a regular on “The Porter Wagoner Show.”

Parton always wanted her hair to be has big as possible, she explained, and wigs helped her achieve those heights without the struggle.

8. She Doesn't Even Know How Many Wigs She Owns

In 2016, Dolly Parton confirmed to Vogue that she has an entire room on her tour bus devoted to her wigs.

When asked how many she owned, Parton said she had no idea.

“I wear one almost every day," she went on to joke, "so I must have at least 365!”

9. She's Positively Serious About Staying Away From Negativity

In a 1988 profile on Dolly Parton for Redbook, journalist Lawrence Grobel wrote about the time he told Parton he'd been offered an assignment to interview convicted murderer and cult leader Charles Manson. Parton made it clear she'd never talk to Grobel again if he took the job.

"I've kept my life as pure as I can make it -- I've kept away from evil and the bad vibrations that come from being around evil," Parton said. "... I wouldn't want the vibes you would pick up [from Manson] to get around me."

The journalist passed on the Manson assignment.

10. She's a Songwriting Machine

Dolly Parton once told London's Guardian that she'd penned 5,000 songs.

Now, the number of songs Parton actually copyrighted and recorded is smaller. However, in the case of the prolific Parton, “smaller” still means the figure is in the hundreds.

It's probably faster to list the Parton hits that she didn't write.

In addition to "Dumb Blonde," "Here You Come Again," "Islands in the Stream" and "Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like That" are among her popular numbers that were written by others.

11. When She's on a Roll, She's on a Roll

Incredible as it sounds, Dolly Parton says she wrote two of her biggest hits, "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You," on the same day in 1972.

"That was a good writing day," Parton told "The Bobby Bones Show."

"You wrote them in the same day?" an incredulous Bobby Bones interjected in the interview.

"Yeah, I believe so, it was right in that period of time because I remember all my paperwork, and like they came out pretty close at the same time," Parton replied. "So everybody said, what was you taking, that was a good writing day.”

12. She's Immortalized in Bronze

If you take a selfie in front of the Dolly Parton statue seen here, then you're standing in Sevierville, Tennessee. Parton was born in the small town in 1946.

Sevierville unveiled a statue of its favorite singer-songwriter in front of the Sevier County Courthouse in 1987.

13. She Was on the Road Long Before She Began Touring

As depicted in the 2015 TV movie, "Coat of Many Colors" (pictured), Dolly Parton grew up poor. Time and again, her farming family picked up stakes, and moved around eastern Tennessee. "... When I was about 5 years old," she told Music City News in 1967, "we lived in a place called Boogertown."

The town wasn't really called Boogertown, Parton explained, but that's her family and local residents called it.

14. She's a One-of-a-Kind Talent (Who's Actually One of a Dozen)

The Tennessee-born Dolly Parton is the fourth of 12 siblings. Though the family was far from rich, several of the Parton children would go onto carve out successful careers in the music industry.

Parton is pictured here with two of her sisters: Stella Parton (left) had a country music career in her own right; while Frieda Parton (middle) worked with Dolly on a couple of songs, and released some rock-'n'-roll music in the 1980s.

15. She Was Born Ready

In 1959, "I Walk the Line" star Johnny Cash welcomed a "little girl ... from up in East Tennessee" to the stage of Nashville's Grand Ole Opry. The little girl was Dolly Parton. She was only 13, but was ready to meet the moment.

“As I heard the band play my introduction, I lifted my head and looked up toward the lights," Parton would remember, per her official website. "I smiled at the people in the balcony and then let ‘er rip.”

16. She Got Her Biggest Break at 21

In 1967, country star Porter Wagoner asked Dolly Parton to join the musical cast of his self-titled TV variety show. Parton's career -- and life -- were never the same again.

Parton and Wagoner became an A-list country duo, and went on to record several hit albums together, including “Just the Two of Us” and “Together Always.”

17. Her Signature Song Is Based on a Real Breakup

Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner worked together for many years. But eventually, they reached a crossroads: Parton yearned to break out as a solo act; Wagoner was hesitant to let the professional relationship end.

The conflicted emotions built up in Parton, and she wrote “I Will Always Love You.” The future mega-hit moved Wagoner to tears. He told Parton he wanted to produce the record -- and he gave her his blessing to go her own way.

18. She Can Find Music in Banking Transactions

In the same writing session that produced "I Will Always Love You," Dolly Parton cranked out "Jolene." The latter song was inspired by a bank teller.

The teller worked at a location frequented by Carl Dean. "She got this terrible crush on my husband," Parton told NPR. "And he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention."

Parton said she and Dean joked about the flirty, red-haired teller. "So it's really an innocent song all around," she said, "but sounds like a dreadful one."

19. She Named "Jolene" For a Real Jolene

While "Jolene" was inspired by a red-haired bank teller, it was named after a red-haired 8-year-old.

In an interview with NPR, Parton said that one night after one of her shows, a girl approached her for an autograph. When Parton asked the child what her name was, the girl said Jolene.

"That is pretty," Parton told the young fan. "That sounds like a song."

Released in 1973, "Jolene" became Parton's first single to crack the coveted Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2003, Rolling Stone included "Jolene" in its ranking of the 500 greatest songs of all time.

20. She Has a Famous "Honorary" Godchild

In the early 1990s, Dolly Parton recorded and toured with "Achy Breaky Heart" singer Billy Ray Cyrus. Parton became tight with Cyrus' family, and was made "honorary" godmother to his eldest daughter: Miley Cyrus.

Although the title was formally conferred in a ceremony, Parton told ABC News' Robin Roberts that she loves the spunky singer of “Wrecking Ball” and “Party in the U.S.A.” as “one of my own.”

21. Miley Cyrus Calls Her "Aunt"

At the 2019 Grammy Awards tribute to Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus closed out a performance with a heartfelt, "You're the best, Aunt Dolly."

Not coincidentally, Parton played a character named Aunt Dolly on Miley Cyrus' and Billy Ray Cyrus' Disney Channel sitcom, "Hannah Montana." (Parton was even written into the show at Miley Cyrus' request.)

22. A Chance Encounter Brought Her to "Islands in the Stream"

While in a rut working on a solo version of the Bee Gees-penned “Islands in the Stream,” Kenny Rogers mused aloud that he wished Dolly Parton could sing on the record. The country crooner didn't know it, but he was about get his wish.

Rogers’ manager mentioned he had bumped into Dolly Parton downstairs from the very studio they were working in. “I said, ‘Well, go get her!’,” Rogers recounted to People.

The rest is music history: "Islands in the Stream," sung by Rogers and Parton, went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

23. She Would Work "9 to 5" All Over Again

The classic 1980 workplace comedy "9 to 5" was Dolly Parton's first film. In it, she starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. In 2018, Parton told "Entertainment Tonight" that the trio was still up for a sequel.

“Until just recently [with] all the equal work for equal pay and all the harassment in the workplace [backlash] – we decided that we are going to try to do another one,” Parton said.

(Unfortunately, in 2019, Parton reported back to "ET" that a sequel was unlikely because the three stars couldn't get a good script.)

24. She Knows How to Make an Impression on the Job

Dolly Parton's first day on the "9 to 5" set was a memorable one. She showed up having learned every line of the script -- as in, every line for every character in the entire movie.

The then-movie novice told NBC’s “Today Show” that she memorized the screenplay because “[she] just thought [she] had to.”

25. She Wrote "9 to 5" With Her Nails, Basically

While on the set of "9 to 5," Dolly Parton started tapping her fingernails. The sound reminded her of the clickety-clack of a typewriter. Inspiration struck.

Parton crafted the movie's title song around her rhythmic nails. Years later, she told "Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon that she gave her claws a credit on the track: "Nails by Dolly."

26. She Bewitched Elvis Presley

When “I Will Always Love You” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 1974, Elvis Presley's team reached out about the so-called "King of Rock and Roll" recording the Dolly Parton song.

"I loved Elvis," Parton told Reba McEntire's podcast, "Living & Learning With Reba McEntire." "...I was so excited."

27. She Rejected Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley's cover of "I Will Always Love You" never came to fruition. The night before the recording was to happen, Dolly Parton said, Presley's powerful manager, Colonel Tom Parker, called and asked for "at least half" of the hit song's publishing rights.

Parton told Parker she couldn't agree to that, as she intended to leave the royalties to the song to her family. Parton stood her ground. But she was so sad, she said, she cried all night.

28. She Finally Got Her Iconic Cover of "I Will Always Love You" -- Thanks to Kevin Costner

In 1992, Whitney Houston released her version of “I Will Always Love You.” The reworked ballad went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and stayed there for 14 weeks. It proved to be the biggest hit of Houston's singing career -- and of Parton's songbook.

Both women owed Kevin Costner.

It was Costner who suggested "I Will Always Love You" to Houston, his costar in "The Bodyguard." The song would become the first single off the film's record-selling soundtrack. Following Houston's death in 2012, the track took off again, rising to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

29. She's Pretty Popular on Her Own

The first singer to take "I Will Always Love You" to No. 1 on a Billboard chart was Dolly Parton herself. Her original version topped the Hot Country Songs chart in 1974. But Parton wasn't done.

She re-recorded "I Will Always Love You" for the soundtrack of “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” her 1982 movie musical with Burt Reynolds. That version of the song also went to No. 1 on the Billboard country chart.

30. She Came Back From a "Nightmare"

The early 1980s were a dark time for Dolly Parton. In a 1986 interview with Ladies' Home Journal, Parton revealed she went from a health scare involving internal abdominal bleeding, to a period of binge-eating, to a "nightmare" film ("The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas").

At her lowest point, Parton said she picked up the gun she kept in her bedroom. The "tap-tap-tap" of her dog, Popeye, running up the stairs "jolted [her] back to reality," she recalled.

"After that," she told the magazine, "my life came back in a positive way."

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

31. She Believes "Friends Can Literally Save Your Life"

Dolly Parton's "terrible moment" in the early 1980s gave her new empathy for people, including troubled superstars.

"Y'know, you often hear that stars who died sadly, like Elvis and Marilyn Monroe, had all kinds of people around them," Parton told Ladies' Home Journal, "but you never hear that they had a best friend."

Parton counts herself lucky because she's had a best friend for practically forever: Judy Ogle (pictured, right).

"I think friends can literally save your life," Parton said to Ladies' Home Journal.

32. She's Proof That Opposites Attract

The early years of Dolly Parton's and Judy Ogle's long-running friendship is depicted in the 2016 TV-movie, "Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love" (pictured).

Parton told People that she and Ogle work as friends because she is outgoing, whereas Ogle is quiet.

33. She Really Turned Heads on "Steel Magnolias"

In the 1989 comedy-drama "Steel Magnolias," Dolly Parton plays a beauty shop owner -- and she didn’t just wing it. Parton worked with local beauticians in the Louisiana town where the movie was filmed.

"There were even brave people from Natchitoches who volunteered to have me do their hair," Parton wrote in one of her memoirs, per TCM, "although I doubt many of them knew exactly how courageous they were."

34. She Can Basically Write a Hit Song on Anything -- Even a Receipt

When Dolly Parton was touring with Porter Wagoner in 1969, she was overcome with inspiration to write what would become “Coat of Many Colors.”

Looking around the tour bus, the only paper Parton could find to jot down lyrics on was one of Wagoner’s dry-cleaning receipts. It was just the ticket.

Parton recorded and released "Coat of Many Colors" in 1971. It reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

35. Even She Can't Keep Track of How Popular She Is

In 2014, Dolly Parton was recognized by the Recording Industry Association of America for having sold more than 100 million albums. The feat staggered no less than Parton herself.

“I’ve been so busy making records for the past several decades, I didn’t realize I had racked up so many sales," Parton said.

36. Her Long List of Hits Just Keeps Getting Longer

Dolly Parton scored her first gold-selling-certified single in 1978, with the pop-crossover hit, "Here You Come Again." More than 40 years later, she was still at it.

In 2021, Parton's duet with Zach Williams, "There Was Jesus," became a gold-selling hit, per the Recording Industry Association of America. The track was Parton's seventh career gold- or platinum-certified single.

Billboard lists Parton as having scored 25 No. 1 singles on its charts.

37. She's a Two-Time Oscar Nominee (But Not for Her Acting)

Though a popular movie star, Dolly Parton hasn't yet been recognized by the Motion Picture Academy for her work in front the camera. But she's managed to find herself on the red carpet -- and on the Oscar stage.

To date, Parton has been nominated for two Academy Awards, both for Best Original Song.

At the 1981 Oscars, she was up for the title track of “9 to 5,” and at the 2005 show, she was nominated for “Travelin’ Thru,” which she wrote for “Transamerica.”

38. When She Gives Back, She Really Gives Back

Dolly Parton once told USA Today that she'd always wanted to build something back home if she ever became famous. In 1986, she made good on her word with Dollywood, her self-styled theme park that opened that year in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

As Parton explained it, Dollywood was her way to create local jobs, give people from her hometown a special space -- and honor her roots.

39. She's Not Thrilled With Thrill Rides (Even Her Own)

As the most ticketed attraction in the state of Tennessee, Dollywood attracts an estimated 3 million annual visitors. Its rides and roller coasters are a big draw, even if Parton herself isn't a fan.

Parton told the New York Times that she doesn’t ride the rides at her beloved park because she suffers motion sickness -- and because she's afraid of losing her wig.

40. She's Practically a One-Woman Band

In addition to her singing and songwriting, Parton is a multi-instrumentalist. She plays the guitar and banjo, and has been known to break out the recorder and saxophone during shows, too.

“Oh, I play some of everything,” Parton told Vogue. ”I ain’t that good at none of it, but I try to sell it.”

41. She's Wild About Butterflies

As a child, Dolly Parton loved chasing butterflies. Later, she wrote and recorded "Love Is Like a Butterfly" -- and the song became one of her early hits. She even considers the butterfly her personal symbol.

The "W" in the logo for Dollywood, in fact, is a stylized butterfly. Guests at the entrance of the park are greeted by a floral arrangement of the winged creature.

42. According to Judges, She Doesn't Look Like Herself

According to Dolly Parton, she once entered a drag queen celebrity look-alike contest dressed as herself, or rather, an extra-exaggerated version of herself.

But that's not the funny part of the story.

The funny part was when the results came in. “…I didn't win. I didn't even come in close, I don't think." Parton told ABC News’ Robin Roberts.

43. She Likes to Be Prepared

Dolly Parton told the New York Times that she leaves her makeup on when she goes to bed at night. Why? So that she looks good in case of an emergency.

“You never know if you’re going to wreck the bus, you never know if you’re going to be somewhere in a hotel and there’s going to be a fire,” Parton told the Times.

44. She's Very Good at Writing Sad Songs -- Maybe Too Good

Dolly Parton's 1978 song "Me and Little Andy" is about a little girl and a dog who run away on a stormy night to escape the girl’s drunken father. At the end of the song, the two die in their sleep.

"I used to do that song on stage, then I got asked one time in Vegas if I could please not," Parton told Entertainment Weekly.

"The casino wanted the audience to drink more and lose more money — they didn’t want to bring ’em down," she said.

45. She Rises Earlier Than the Sun

Dolly Parton told NBC's “Today Show” that she wakes at 3 a.m. She says she takes the quiet hours to meditate, do a little spiritual work, answer emails and make phone calls.

“I just love the wee hours ... because it's quiet, and the energy's all low-key," Parton said, adding, "except mine."

46. The Grammys Like Her, They Really Like Her

Through 2021, Dolly Parton had won 10 competitive Grammys out of 50 nominations. But wait, there's more.

Parton has also been honored by the Grammys with its Lifetime Achievement Award, and seen two of her compositions, “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

47. She Mined a Hit Song About Heartbreak From a Comedy Show

In 1982, Dolly Parton took the song “Single Women” to No. 8 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

The hit was unusual for Parton because, one, she didn't write it, and, two, the song was first heard in a "Saturday Night Live" episode.

"SNL" cast member Christine Ebersole debuted the song in a moody, 1981 character sketch. The words and lyrics were penned by famed "SNL" writer Michael O'Donoghue.

48. She Founded an Amazing Charity for Children

In 1995, Dolly Parton started Imagination Library, a program that provides books free of charge to children ages 5 and younger.

Imagination Library was established in Parton's home state of Tennessee, but has since expanded nationwide and even overseas.

49. She's Not Afraid to Take a Leap

When Dolly Parton was approached about writing the score for a Broadway musical adaptation of "9 to 5," the star "jumped at the chance," she told NPR, even though she said she "'[didn't] know that much about Broadway."