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Singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, has taken many paths in her life. And at the age of 77, she is still rocking every single role. The singer rose to fame with her debut album in 1967 titled Hello, I'm Dolly. Dolly Patron is widely recognized for her decades-long career in country music. Read on for learning a few fascinating things about the "Jolene" star.
She Lost Dolly Parton look-a-like contest!
The singer recalls the drag queen celebrity impersonator contest during the promotion of her Memoir titled Dream More. She talked about the contest held in Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, stating, there were all the guys were dressed up like her. She over over-exaggerated her look a bit, making her beauty mark bigger, the eyes bigger, the hair bigger, and ended up losing the contest!
No Rides For Her at Dollywood
The green-eyed beauty founded a namesake theme park in 1986 in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Dollywood hosts over a million visitors per year, making it the most popular tourist attraction in the state according to the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. However, the owner herself has never ridden even a single ride in the park!
Patron once said in an interview, "I don't ride the rides. I never have." According to the singer, it is due to motion sickness. She stated, "I have a tendency to get motion sickness. Also, I'm a little bit chicken. With all my hair I got so much to lose, like my wig or my shoes. I don't like to get messed up. I'm gonna have some handsome man mess it up, I don't want some ride doing it."
Related to Miley Cyrus
If you watched Hannah Montana growing up, you must've seen Dolly Patron making tons of guest appearances with Miley Cyrus as aunt Dolly. But did you know the country singer is Miley’s godmother in real life? Patron shares a longtime friendship with Cyrus's dad, country star Billy Ray Cyrus.
She once quoted in an interview, "I'm her honorary godmother. I've known her since she was a baby. Her father is a friend of mine. And when she was born, he said, 'You just have to be her godmother,' and I said, 'I accept.' We never did do a big ceremony, but I'm so proud of her, love her, and she's just like one of my own." As part of Miley's New Year's Eve Party to ring in 2022, Miley and her sister Noah Cyrus also performed a duet of Parton's Jolene.
Her "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You" were written at the same time!
She wrote the 1968 hits "I Will Always Love You" and "Jolene" in the same sitting. She said, she found a little cassette while upgrading everything from old cassettes to hard drives. It had three songs, and these two were back-to-back, which made her realize that both the songs were written in the same sitting. Both solo singles reached number one on the country chart in 1974.
Also, the song Jolene has an interesting backstory to it. The name of the song is inspired by a young redhead girl who met Patron in the autograph line at one of her concerts. She stated, "I said, 'Well, you're the prettiest little thing I ever saw. So, what is your name?' And she said, 'Jolene,'" Dolly said. "And I said, 'Jolene... That is pretty. That sounds like a song. I'm going to write a song about that.'" And that’s how the name came. But wait, did you know that the story in the song is also inspired by a true event from Dolly’s own life? Well, yes, it was about a red-haired bank teller who used to flirt with her husband, Carl Thomas Dean. It was back when they had just tied the knot. Although, it didn’t affect the love they shared and Dolly and Carl have been happily married since 1966.
Her First Crush!
Dolly Parton had a massive crush on country singer-songwriter Johnny Cash. She developed the crush after a concert she attended when she was a teen. The concert was held at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry, where she saw Cash perform. She said during an interview, "I was sitting in the audience and that's when I first knew about sex appeal." It was years before she met Carl Dean in 1964 when she was 18. The two fell in love pretty quickly and have been together since.
She once turned down Elvis Presley!
Her song 'I Will Always Love You’ was supposed to be sung by none other than Elvis Presley! And No person in their right mind would ever miss a chance to work with him. She was pretty excited about it as well, however, her happiness turned sour when on the day of recording, his then-manager called her to ask for half of the publishing rights or else they would not record the song, which she denied.
She said "I thought, 'Oh, no, that's already been a hit and that's what I'm leaving for my family.' It had nothing to do with Elvis because hopefully he was disappointed too." The song was later sung by Whitney Houston.
She owns over 300 wigs!
Patron is widely popular for her look with heavy makeup, and big hair! She never leaves her house without her makeup on and even sometimes sleeps with it. The singer has stated that the look was inspired by a local Tramp in her hometown. According to Patron, she was absolutely beautiful. She recalls her having bleached hair, red lipstick, nails, cheeks, and high-heel shoes. The American beauty got so mesmerized by the look that she was never seen without it.
Her big hairdo is to die for. She wears a wig all the time to maintain her looks and there aren't many people who have seen her without it. She also has hundreds of wigs. She opened up about her collection in the Netflix series titled Dolly Parton's Heartstrings, stating she has somewhere around 365 wings, adding to it she jokingly said, “That way I never have a bad hair day, One for each day".
Tattoos For Keloid Scars
She is often seen with long sleeve shirts, which cover most of the tattoos on her arms, and many people might not even know about her tattoos. In addition, she doesn’t like to make a big to-do of tattoos, which can usually give people a point to make a big deal about. The country singer has stated that when she started into the entertainment world, she wanted to cover up her scars from Keloid, for which she got inked.
She stated “I have a tendency where if I have any kind of scars anywhere then they kind of have a purple tinge that I can never get rid of," she continued. "So mine are all pastels, what few that I have, and they’re meant to cover some scars. I’m not trying to make some big, bold statement.”
Breast Insurance Rumors!
It has been a long-time rumor among her fans and media outlets that the singer has insured her breasts insured for $600,000. In January 2022, Dolly Patron came out with the truth about her insurance. Patron debunked the rumors on the show for TODAY.
She stated "It’s not true about that," Parton said. "Years ago, was it Betty Grable, or one of the great famous stars that were famous also for her legs? And at that time I said, 'Well maybe I should get my b**bs insured since I’m famous for them,' but it was just a joke. I didn’t do that."
She Comes From a Poor Background!
Patron does not come from a well-to-do family and had a small home in Tennessee while growing up. She and her 11 brothers and sisters lived in a one-room cabin in Sevierville. When she was born, her father paid the doctor who helped deliver her with a sack of oatmeal.
Her childhood house still exists and can be visited by anyone. She spent a fortune on her old house’s renovation to make it functional as it had a special place in her heart.
What fact did you find the most fascinating? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Also, read about Dolly Patron's Godchild Miley Cyrus’ Journey to her new self!