The Unknown Details About Dolly Parton's Private Life

When it comes to music legends, it might be tough to find someone more famous, more beloved, and more recognized than Dolly Parton. Sure, she might have made a name for herself as a country music star, but that hasn’t stopped her from taking over the world.

Still, that doesn’t mean everyone knows everything about the legend. Dolly Parton has finally opened up about her long sleeves and her rise to fame, with many getting a closer look at the musician’s life than ever before.

Dolly Parton is a name that will forever go down as a legend

Although many country music stars have come and gone over the years, Dolly Parton is the one to have opened many of our minds to the genre over the years. Many of her songs have become unforgettable hits and her time on the red carpet has seen Dolly take over a whole new aspect of Hollywood as a result.

Even at 77 years old, Dolly is still at the height of her fame - even with the announcement she’d retired from touring back in late 2022. Thankfully, Dolly’s witty comments and generous nature means the star is much more than her powerful vocals and is a name that will forever go down in the history books.

Starting from the bottom meant Dolly Parton had a long way to climb

Dolly Rebecca Parton was born back in 1946 in Sevier County, Tennessee. She was number four in the family and would eventually become one of twelve children to her parents, Robert and Avie Lee Parton. Avie was 35 years old when she welcomed her twelfth child and had a lot on her plate from running the family home.

With so many mouths to feed, things would always be a struggle for the family. Thankfully, Robert landed a job in construction to help fund the family. Being “dirt poor” and growing up in poverty soon became a reference for Dolly in many of her hit songs, but the star never let anything hold her back or crush her dreams.

It wasn’t until later in life that Dolly Parton realized how poor her family was

The Parton family was already struggling for money when Dolly was born. This was something that only became harder as more children were welcomed into the family, with Dolly quickly learning not to complain about anything at home. It seemed as though Dolly and her siblings were used to growing up without the finer things in life.

However, when she was older, the star understood just how little money the family really had as Dolly’s parents were forced to pay the birthing doctor in oatmeal. Thankfully, the youngster eventually found comfort in her local church as she sang and played her guitar that was gifted to Dolly by her uncle when she was seven years old.

Writing songs was just what Dolly Parton needed to explain her emotions

Writing songs was the perfect way for Dolly Parton to explain her life to the rest of the world. All of a sudden, she could put her feelings into words and make them into something memorable for her fans, too. However, there are other stories that Dolly has shared away from her music over the years.

When she was just six years old, Dolly was running through her neighborhood when she tripped and landed on some broken glass. The family knew that she needed stitches. Unfortunately, Dolly’s mom couldn’t cover the medical costs, so she grabbed a sewing needle and helped her daughter herself. It was painful but yet another reminder of the family’s financial status.

Landing her first single was a major turning point in Dolly Parton’s life

It appeared as though Dolly Parton was trapped. That was until the youngster realized that her musical talents could be a ticket to make something for herself. Dolly was ten years old when she started to perform, and it wasn’t long before she landed several musical spots on local radio and TV shows, much to her delight.

From there, it was onto the recording studio after Dolly was spotted on one of her regular appearances. She might have been 13 years old, but Dolly already had her first single: ‘Puppy Love.’ It was thanks to her rising success that Dolly was introduced to Johnny Cash, who told her to follow her musical dreams.

Dolly Parton knew she needed Nashville to hit the big time

Like many kids in the neighborhood, Dolly Parton continued to pursue her dreams all the way through high school. However, as soon as she had graduated, Dolly knew there was only one way to go. She needed to leave her hometown for the bright lights of Nashville, but that might be easier said than done.

This was Dolly’s only chance of hitting the big time. The musician began writing songs for other singers, and it wasn’t long before some of Dolly’s creations topped the charts. By the time she was 19 years old, Dolly had been given her own recording contract. However, they wanted her to perform pop songs - not country music.

Sticking to her dreams was enough to see Dolly Parton’s success soar

Singing pop songs wasn’t the dream that Dolly Parton had in mind. She wanted to sing country music and was determined to make herself heard. Dolly continued to sing in her chosen style, and her success was backed up when one of the songs that she had written made it to sixth place on the country music chart.

In 1966, the music label decided to take a chance. Dolly released her first country single, named ‘Dumb Blonde,’ and it was an instant hit. The song climbed all the way to number 24 on the country chart. This was just the beginning of Dolly’s success. All of a sudden, her career dreams were coming true.

Marrying Carl Dean was the start of something incredible for the singer

Just a few months after her debut single, Dolly Parton walked down the aisle with Carl Thomas Dean when she was just 20 years old. Amazingly, the pair have been together ever since, and Dolly often says that Carl is the reason she remembers to stay grounded. After all, he has been by her side since the beginning.

Believe it or not, but Carl wants to stay as far away from the limelight as possible and has no intentions of ever becoming a public figure. He owns a paving company to keep busy. To top it off, Dolly uses her maiden name for her career, and Carl has only ever seen her perform live once.

Swapping with Norma Jean as TV show host didn’t go well

Growing her career meant that it wasn’t long before Dolly Parton was given some major opportunities. In 1967, a TV show wanted the rising star to appear as their new host alongside Porter Wagoner. The show has used Norma Jean for six years, but it looked as though some of the fans weren’t ready for the change.

In fact, the switch soon became a controversial time. Many members of the audience would spend the time chanting they wanted Norma Jean to return and would boo at Dolly whenever she walked onto the set. Although it might have taken some time to win everyone over, Dolly eventually proved that she was the perfect replacement.

Many believed there was more to Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner’s relationship

Working with Porter Wagoner led many fans to believe there was more to his relationship with Dolly than met the eye. The pair released a single together that soon flew to the top spot on the country music charts. Porter and Dolly’s following duets went on to remain in the top charts for six years as fans couldn’t get enough.

Many believed that Porter and Dolly were in a secret relationship - something they both adamantly deny. Plus, Porter co-produced Dolly’s music and owned 50% of her publishing company, meaning that he controlled a considerable part of her finances. While the rumors continued to swirl, Dolly was determined not to let them stand in the way of her success.

Breaking away from her duets was a risk that ultimately had huge consequences

Being a part of the rumored couple was enough to see Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton’s singles climb to the height of popularity. However, this was causing more of an issue for Dolly than she ever imagined. The musician was desperate to make a solo career for herself and didn’t want to rely on her new musical partner.

Unfortunately, every time Dolly released a single, it lost to the success of her duets. That’s when Porter came up with the perfect plan. He suggested that Dolly cover the tune ‘Mule Skinner Blues.’ Thankfully, the risk paid off in the end as Dolly had top 20 hit after top 20 hit. Her solo career was blossoming before her eyes.

Releasing Jolene started a new chapter in Dolly Parton’s life

Dolly Parton has composed more than 3,000 songs throughout her career. However, there’s still one that stands out above the rest: ‘Jolene.’ The single was an instant hit as soon as Dolly released the track in 1973. It took just a few months before it climbed to the top spot on the charts and quickly made itself at home.

The best bit? ‘Jolene’ has since been named one of the 100 best songs of all time. It truly is a track that has gone down in history. The song was enough to give Dolly the push to pursue a solo career and take a break from duets, as well as ensuring her worldwide fame seemingly overnight.

Jolene came from some real-life inspiration in Dolly Parton’s love life

It appeared as though Dolly Parton had plenty of inspiration behind ‘Jolene.’ The musician later told National Public Radio that the song was written about a bank teller at her local branch. Apparently, the woman in question had a “terrible crush” on Dolly’s husband, and the singer wanted to put her feelings into words for the world to hear.

Thankfully, Dolly knew that she didn’t have anything to worry about, as it soon became a joke between herself and Carl, but she knew that he was spending more time at the bank than necessary. Dolly believes it was all because the bank teller “paid him so much attention” and wanted her feelings to be known by all.

Elvis Presley allegedly wanted to cover one of Dolly Parton’s most famous songs

Many people have heard the hit song ‘I Will Always Love You.’ It can be easy to think of Whitney Houston whenever we hear the tune, as the singer released her version in 1992 for the romantic drama movie ‘The Bodyguard.’ However, it wasn’t initially Whitney’s at all and had been around for longer than many realized at the time.

No, the song was actually written by Dolly in 1973 after the musician split from Porter. Many musicians wanted to give their take on it all. It’s reported that even Elvis Presley approached Dolly as he hoped to make a cover. However, Dolly supposedly didn’t want to give up the rights to her song and refused to let it happen.

There have been several rumors about alleged secret children

Amazingly, this wasn’t the only time that Dolly Parton and Elvis’ paths crossed. Being two huge figures in music at the time meant the stars would often see each other at many events. This was enough to get the world talking. There was soon a rumor that Dolly and Elvis shared a secret child with one another.

To top it off, the world soon wondered if Dolly shared another hidden child with Burt Reynolds, too. Dolly was quick to deny any of the rumors. However, she did find them funny when she first learned about the gossip. While Dolly doesn’t have children of her own, she is godmother to fellow musician Miley Cyrus.

Getting her own TV show wasn’t entirely a dream for Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton has always wanted to make her name in music. However, Hollywood had other ideas. She was one of the biggest mainstream names of the time, and it wasn’t long before networks wanted to get in on a portion of Dolly’s success. She was handed her own variety TV show titled ‘Dolly’ in 1976.

Here, Dolly got to enjoy speaking with a whole host of guests, including Olivia Newton-John and Rose Maddox. Thankfully, the new show was a place for Dolly to introduce a larger audience to her music. Sadly, it only lasted one year before Dolly pulled out, stating that it was putting too much strain on her vocals.

Blending two genres would be a big jump for Dolly Parton and came with several risks

It seemed as though nothing would stand in Dolly Parton’s way of becoming a country music star. Even though she only had one genre in mind, Dolly was soon a huge part of the 1970s pop scene, too. Dolly continued to headline a host of country music shows while she worked on her rising pop career behind closed doors.

However, it appeared that Dolly could no longer keep the two apart and decided to merge them together into a brand new sound in the ‘80s. Thankfully, most of Dolly’s fans were on board with the unique rhythm and feel of the star’s music. Yet again, it seemed to prove that any risk Dolly took would ultimately pay off.

All eyes were on Dolly Parton during her embarrassing 1978 wardrobe blunder

Being at the top of her game meant that Dolly Parton was used to being the center of attention. Sadly, that usually meant everyone was watching when she made a blunder. The star was one of the many at the Country Music Association Awards in 1978 as everyone gathered to see who would take home a title from the night.

Amazingly, Dolly heard her name get called, and the singer was quick to rush up to the stage. Sadly, in the excitement, Dolly ripped her dress down the middle. Thankfully, Kenny Rogers’ wife was there with a scarf to help conceal the accidental addition to Dolly’s look before too many people got an unexpected show.

Becoming a leading lady inspired a huge part of the star’s career

A handful of music stars have been lucky enough to break into the acting world too, and Dolly Parton is no exception. Dolly learned from a young age that she needed to grab life by the horns if she wanted to make the most of her time and knew how to make the most of taking risks in her career.

Perhaps that’s why she jumped at the chance to star in the comedy movie ‘9 to 5’? The film was released in 1980, and of course, there was no one better to record the title song of it all than Dolly herself. The production was such a hit that Dolly later wrote a musical based on it all.

Appearing in Rhinestone turned out to be a commercial flop

Sadly, there is one movie of Dolly’s that has been questioned over the years. That’s right; we’re talking about the comedy musical ‘Rhinestone.’ The film saw Dolly take on the leading role as she starred alongside fellow actor and writer of the production, Sylvester Stallone. It looked as though the 1985 release was set to be a huge hit.

After all, it featured two of Hollywood’s most in-demand names. Unfortunately, ‘Rhinestone’ was a financial flop as it ended up leaving the team $8 million out of pocket. To further the upset, the movie critics were less than kind about the production and some have named it as one of the worst films of all time.

Dolly Parton has no regrets about working on Rhinestone

‘Rhinestone’ follows the story of Jake, played by Dolly Parton, who must teach a New York cabbie named Nick, played by Sylvester Stallone, all about country music. Jake needs to turn Nick into a star so that she can be free from her nightclub contract, and thankfully, things turn out alright for the pair in the end.

It looked as though it had everything it needed to be a great production. Sadly, the poor ratings meant that Sylvester distanced himself from the movie and later regretted working on it at all. However, Dolly says that she will never apologize for ‘Rhinestone’ as she created some of the best work of her life for the film.

Giving back to the community saw Dollywood open its doors

It looked as though nothing could keep Dolly Parton back. By the time the mid-1980s rolled around, the star was ready to break into a whole new world: theme park ownership. Dolly decided it was the best way to expand her growing empire, as well as a chance to give back to her hometown in the process.

Dollywood was born, and it wasn’t long before it became the largest employer in Sevierville. Dolly bought, renovated, and reopened the theme park with its new name back in 1986, and it has been open ever since. Now, it’s thought that as many as three million people visit the attraction every year, helping to boost the local economy.

We probably won’t ever see Dolly Parton enjoying Dollywood rides herself

Welcoming so many visitors a year means that Dollywood is the highest-earning attraction across all of Tennessee. Apparently, Dolly Parton always wanted to find a way to bring more money to her hometown and thought this was the perfect chance. Sadly, it seems as though we won’t see Dolly whizzing around on those rides any time soon.

There are a whole host of attractions in the park, but Dolly admits that she suffers from motion sickness. In fact, it has been so severe that Dolly says she used to “get sick on the school bus.” Flying through the air on a rollercoaster is probably out of the equation, but at least everyone else can enjoy it.

Recreating the magic of her childhood home cost Dolly Parton millions of dollars

Dollywood isn’t the only property that the star has invested in over the years. Dolly Parton was so attached to her childhood home that she bought the mountain property in the 1980s. Apparently, the home has no indoor plumbing or electricity, but that didn’t matter. She just wanted to have it back in her hands.

Dolly hired one of her brothers, Bobby, to restore the house to the way it had looked back when they were younger. However, Dolly wanted this version to be functional. She ended up spending a few million dollars to make it look as though she had spent nothing at all, but the star knew it was worth it eventually.

Dolly Parton’s timings haven’t always been perfect

The middle of the 1980s was a huge time for Dolly Parton. As well as a number of business ventures under her belt, the musician also made a huge decision. She wanted to return to her country roots. Dolly had just released her latest album, ‘Trio,’ when she knew that it was time to change up her music once again.

By 1989, Dolly had a brand new sound thanks to her album ‘White Limozeen.’ The tunes were enough to give Dolly a small boost, but the timing wasn’t quite right. The country music boom came at the beginning of the ‘90s, meaning it took a while for fans to discover the music and give it their full attention.

The 1990s were filled with success after success for Dolly Parton

Thankfully, Dolly already had a strong and loyal fanbase who were there to help propel the album into the limelight. To top it off, Dolly continued to release a handful of albums throughout the 1990s. Being an expert in the genre by the time the music took off meant that many instantly fell for Dolly’s unique and powerful sound.

In fact, a lot of the music that Dolly released throughout the decade was nominated for various Grammy Awards. As if that wasn’t enough, ‘The Day I Fall In Love’ received an Academy Award nomination, and Dolly was inducted as part of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Things were certainly picking up a lot of steam.

Dolly Parton wouldn’t trade her humble roots for anything

Even with all of her success, Dolly Parton has said she would never trade her humble beginnings for anything else. Her childhood did more than give Dolly inspiration for her music. The musician says that it taught her how to stretch her money and not to spend her new wealth on things that never matter in the long run.

Although money is no longer an issue, Dolly says that she still feels a pang of guilt when she thinks about how her parents could have used the money. Thankfully, she did give her parents some relief when the musician spent her initial earnings on new cars for both her mom and dad before hitting the big time.

Sharing her wealth is a big part of Dolly Parton’s life

Dolly Parton has also found other ways to give back to her community, thanks to her new wealth. Many celebrities use their fortune to promote a handful of charities. Dolly? This star has spent many years campaigning for LGBTQ rights and now hosts regular events at Dollywood after becoming a prominent icon within the community.

As if that wasn’t enough, Dolly has run several campaigns to help raise money for various health charities across the nation, as well as the American Red Cross. The rest of her money often goes toward protecting endangered species, with the musician offering up Dollywood as a safe place to create a bald eagle sanctuary.

Dolly Parton has helped to shape the next generation through her goddaughter

It’s not just her personal work that has kept Dolly Parton busy all this time. The musician has also worked closely with many other stars in the business, including her goddaughter, Miley Cyrus. Apparently, Dolly had been close friends with fellow country music star and Miley’s dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, for years before becoming a part of Miley’s life.

He asked Dolly to be Miley’s godmother as soon as she was born, but Dolly says there was never a large ceremony. She just wanted to spend her life being there for the youngster. Dolly later appeared on Miley’s sitcom ‘Hannah Montana’ and helped coach Miley’s vocals along the way, showing just how strong the bond is between the pair.

The musician used unusual inspiration to create her legendary look

As well as her incredible vocal talents, Dolly Parton also has an almost unforgettable look. Dolly says that she modeled her appearance on a lady of the night. Apparently, Dolly had never seen anyone with yellow hair all piled on top of itself with high heels and bright red lipstick - and knew that had to change.

That instantly became the look Dolly needed to recreate. Although many of us could pick Dolly out of a crowd, it turns out that not everyone feels the same way. The star once entered a local look-alike contest at a nightclub where she performed alongside many others who had spent weeks perfecting their looks. Sadly, Dolly lost.

Several rumors claimed Dolly Parton was covered in secret tattoos

There have been plenty of rumors that have cropped up over the years about Dolly Parton and her appearance, with hidden tattoos being one of the few. Some believe that Dolly is secretly covered in a host of secret ink that she keeps concealed beneath her gowns. However, no one ever had any concrete evidence.

Thankfully, the star didn’t keep us in the dark for long, as she later confessed that the stories were all true. Apparently, a British comedian was the first to speak about the ink. Dolly later admitted that she has the tattoos but keeps them hidden as they are all for personal reasons. Of course, the world wanted to know more.

Dolly Parton has opened up about her reasoning for the tattoos

Dolly Parton later admitted that she got the tattoos to cover up a number of scars that she’s had thanks to various surgeries or procedures over the years. Some of them are thanks to cosmetic procedures, while others are thanks to routine medical checks. Whatever the case, each piece seems to mean something different to the star.

However, Dolly says that she has fair skin and that she easily scars. Rather than worry about the marks, Dolly opted to get pastel-colored pictures, such as butterflies, angels, and flowers, instead. Only a few celebrities have ever been lucky enough to see the body art. She has also admitted that she isn’t “a biker chick” thanks to the tattoos.

Being charitable is nothing new to the country musician

What Dolly Parton lacks in look-alike titles, she more than makes up for in generosity. The star has helped many charitable causes over the years, with local children’s hospitals being some of the many places that have been touched by Dolly’s kindness. In fact, some have no idea just how far she has gone to help.

The star apparently tries to give what she can to a host of locations, but one hospital in Nashville was in for a surprise when Dolly donated a whopping $1 million to help cover their fees. Still not enough? Dolly has regularly been spotted on the wards, as the musician greets patients with concerts and company.

Helping spread a love for reading is one of Dolly Parton’s many achievements

Dolly Parton is passionate about many things in the world, with literacy being just one. Back in 1995, the musician and star created Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. It turned out that she wanted to encourage young children to read across the state of Tennessee before working across the rest of the nation - and she’s more than succeeded.

It was all thanks to the fact that Dolly’s father never learned how to read. Not only has the foundation given out more than 100 million books so far, but it’s also reached as far as the likes of Canada, Australia, and the U.K. throughout the years. Imagination Library has been up and running ever since.

Going down in history is all in a day’s work for Dolly Parton

It appears as though all of Dolly Parton’s hard work and dedication means the star will go down in the history books. Not only has she earned a host of awards over the years, but Dolly is a part of the Country Music Hall of Fame and was one of the special guests at the Country Music Awards' 50th anniversary.

Dolly also had a cloned sheep named after her back in 1995. Thankfully, one of the star’s latest awards is none other than a second star on the Walk of Fame, making the musician the first woman in the 21st century to earn two of the spots. It appears nothing can hold Dolly Parton back, even if it tried.