Dolly Parton is an American treasure who transcends music genres. You surely know her for her big hair and even bigger voice, but her business mind is just as impressive. She rose from extreme poverty in the mountains to become a global superstar. Furthermore, she is one of the most generous philanthropists in the world. Her Imagination Library has gifted over 200 million books. Let’s explore the life of the Smoky Mountain Songbird.
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton once entered a drag queen lookalike contest as herself and lost. Hilariously, she walked onto the stage and exaggerated her look, but the judges gave the win to a man. Consequently, she admits she got the least applause of anyone there.
She wrote two of her biggest hits on the very same day. Amazingly, she composed “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” during one writing session in 1973. Most songwriters dream of writing just one classic in a lifetime.
Her father could not read or write, which deeply influenced her life. She launched her Imagination Library charity to honor him. Today, the program sends millions of free books to children around the world every month.
Dolly Parton sleeps in her full makeup every single night. She wants to be camera-ready in case of an emergency like a fire or earthquake. Then, she washes her face in the morning and applies fresh makeup.
She has been married to Carl Dean for over fifty years. Unusually, he stays completely out of the spotlight and rarely attends her events. He prefers a quiet life running his asphalt paving business in Nashville.
The first cloned sheep was named after her. Scientists chose the name “Dolly” because the cell used for cloning came from a mammary gland. Dolly Parton found the joke funny and said there is no such thing as bad publicity.
She turned down Elvis Presley when he wanted to record “I Will Always Love You.” His manager demanded half of the publishing rights, but she refused to give them up. Smartly, this decision earned her millions in royalties later.
She owns a massive collection of over 300 wigs. She wears them because her natural hair is fine and difficult to style. Therefore, she never has a bad hair day and can change her look instantly.
She grew up in a one-room cabin with eleven siblings. Her family was so poor that they paid the doctor who delivered her with a sack of cornmeal. Despite the poverty, she speaks fondly of her childhood in the Smoky Mountains.
Dolly Parton has tattoos to cover up her scars. She admits she has pastel ribbons and butterflies inked on her skin. These designs hide keloid scars from surgeries and keep her skin looking perfect.
She acted as an executive producer for the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Her production company, Sandollar, helped bring the cult classic series to television. However, her name did not appear in the credits of every episode.
A wild black bear once wandered into her house. She found the animal in her living room but managed to stay calm. Eventually, the bear left through an open door without causing any harm to her.
She wrote the theme song for the movie 9 to 5 by using her fingernails. She realized her acrylic nails made a typewriter sound when she rubbed them together. Thus, she used that rhythm to compose the famous opening beat.
She secretly funded the research for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. She donated one million dollars to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. This generous gift helped speed up the development of the vaccine during the pandemic.
She refuses to ride the rides at her own theme park, Dollywood. She suffers from motion sickness and prefers to keep her feet on the ground. Instead, she enjoys watching the families have fun at the park.
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