08/26/2026
Celebrating Dolly Parton 💕✨
As we continue our season of celebrating amazing women at Curtain Call, we felt the need to highlight one of the most amazing women of all time: Dolly Parton.
There are so many incredible things we could say about Dolly, but here are a few lesser-known facts that might surprise you:
🎶 Dolly was one of 12 children. She grew up in a tiny cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.
📚 Her father couldn't read or write. This deeply influenced Dolly and helped inspire her creation of the Imagination Library, which provides free books to young children.
💔 “Jolene” was inspired, in part, by a real-life situation. Dolly has said that a redheaded bank teller caught her husband Carl Dean's attention, inspiring part of the story behind the song.
🎼 She wrote “I Will Always Love You” in about 15 minutes. She wrote it in 1973 as she was preparing to leave The Porter Wagoner Show.
✨ “I Will Always Love You” and “Jolene” may have been written during the same songwriting session. Dolly has recalled writing the two songs around the same time, possibly even on the same night—although she has acknowledged that she isn't completely certain they were literally written on the same day.
👑 Elvis Presley wanted to record “I Will Always Love You.” Dolly ultimately said no because Elvis's representatives wanted a substantial share of the song's publishing rights. Keeping those rights turned out to be a very good decision!
💇♀️ That famous hair? Often a wig! Dolly has joked that wigs save her from having to constantly style her elaborate hair.
🌸 Dolly has tattoos. She has revealed that she has several small, delicate tattoos, which she kept mostly hidden for years.
🎤 Dolly is Miley Cyrus's godmother. The two have performed together many times, and Dolly even appeared on Hannah Montana.
🧥 “Coat of Many Colors” is based on a true story. Dolly's mother made her a coat from scraps of fabric when she was a child, inspiring one of Dolly's most beloved songs.
💉 Dolly donated $1 million toward COVID-19 research. Her donation to Vanderbilt University helped support research that contributed to the development of the Moderna vaccine.
🏅 She has turned down the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Dolly has said she was offered the honor twice but wasn't able to accept it because of circumstances surrounding the timing.
💅 She created the iconic sound at the beginning of “9 to 5.” The rhythmic clicking wasn't a typewriter—it was Dolly rubbing and clicking her long fingernails together! (Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbxUSsFXYo4)
❤️ Dolly and Carl Dean have been married since 1966. Despite being married to one of the world's most famous entertainers, Carl has largely stayed out of the public eye.
🎢 Dolly doesn't ride the rides at Dollywood! Despite being the namesake and co-owner of one of America's most famous theme parks, Dolly has said she gets motion sickness and is a little “chicken.” She's also joked that she has too much to lose—including her famous wig and shoes!
✍️ Dolly has written thousands of songs. Her catalog is estimated at more than 3,000 songs, many of which have been recorded by other artists.
We could go on and on… but that's part of what makes Dolly so extraordinary. She's a legendary songwriter, performer, actress, entrepreneur and philanthropist—and, perhaps most importantly, someone who has never forgotten where she came from. 💕
