Working 9 To 5
This classic black and white image comes from the comedy 9 to 5, which Dolly starred in in 1980 alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. The film grossed over $103.9 million and cemented Dolly’s reputation as a household name. Dolly released the song 9 to 5 to promote the film. It quickly became one of her most famous hits, winning an Academy Award nomination and four Grammy Award nominations, two of which she won: ‘Best Country Song’ and ‘Best Country Vocal Performance, Female.’
Early ’80s Dolly
This princess pink satin look is totally ’80s and looks almost exactly the same as the dress Dolly wore to perform her classic, and by then world-famous, song “Jolene” on The Griffin Show in November of 1980. This era marked Dolly’s transition from country gal to queen of pop music, although her singles appeared consistently in the country Top 10. Between 1981 and 1985, she had 12 Top-10 hits; half of them hit number one!
When Dolly Met Sylvester
For a brief period, Sylvester Stallone and Dolly Parton were Hollywood’s hit couple. The small but mighty singer-actress and Rocky star are glad most people don’t remember the time when they joined forces in the disastrous country spoof Rhinestone. The 1984 movie was panned by critics upon its release, however, Stallone didn’t care, later quoting, “The most fun I ever had on a movie was with Dolly Parton on Rhinestone.” Nonetheless, the soundtrack album gave Dolly Parton two top ten country singles, “Tennessee Homesick Blues” and “God Won’t Get You.”
The River Unbroken
This iconic image was taken for the cover of Dolly’s 1987 single “The River Unbroken,” which featured on her album Rainbow. One of her lower-ranking songs, it was Dolly’s last pop record before she returned to her country roots. In the same period, Parton began her charitable work through her Dollywood Foundation. Even today, her literacy program, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, mails one book per month to each enrolled child from the time of their birth until they enter kindergarten.
Sandy Gallin And Sandollar Productions
Dolly Parton met her manager Sandy Gallin in 1976 after making a guest appearance on The Mac Davis Show. She was impressed with him, saying, “He’s got taste and I got talent.” Their 25-year business relationship included the formation of their shared film and television production company Sandollar Productions in 1985. Sandollar achieved many awards, including five Ace Awards for a variety of productions and an Academy Award for the documentary Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt.
Straight Talk
This rare photo of Dolly looking bright and chirpy is actually a promo shot from the 1992 romantic comedy Straight Talk. She played a dance instructor who moved to Chicago in search of fame, alongside co-star Barnet Kellman. Although the movie did well at the box office, grossing $21,202,099, it didn’t receive great reviews. The critics couldn’t get enough of Dolly’s charming performance, but the prevailing opinion was that the storyline was just too confusing and poorly written.
New York Premiere Dolly
This rare photo of Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda was taken during the New York City premiere of their box office smash 9 to 5. The three forged a strong friendship on the set of the film. These three gal pals prove that age is just a number. Fonda and Tomlin, both now in their 80s, have a hit Netflix show, Grace and Frankie, and Dolly is on tour, has a Netflix series, and is busy running her theme park empire.
Dazzling Dolly
A woman after our hearts, Dolly seemingly decided to spend the entirety of 1989 dressed head to toe in sparkles! The cover of album White Limozeen featured a similarly scintillating dress, cementing Dolly’s place as the nation’s dazzling diamond in the rough. Always a follower of fashion and a fan of bold styles, Dolly once famously said, “It costs a lot of money to look this cheap.” On the contrary, this late 80s outfit makes her look a million bucks!
1970s TIME Magazine Interview
This gorgeous portrait was taken outside of Dolly Parton’s tour bus on September 1st, 1977, while on tour in Detroit. It was Dolly’s first tour since dropping her partner and mentor, Porter Wagoner, and she was sharing a rocky new sound. TIME correspondent Jean Vallely interviewed Dolly that year. The accompanying article described her audiences’ protectiveness over the singer, stating, “Country fans are music’s most loyal, especially to a singer who comes from a three-room shack in Tennessee.”
Dolly The Moviestar
This rare 1980s photo was taken at an event to promote The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, the 1982 adaptation of the 1978 Broadway musical of the same name, which starred Burt Reynolds alongside a buxom Dolly. Although she famously said it was a nightmare to work with Reynolds, Dolly also pushed for a romantic storyline, saying, “Wouldn’t you feel like you wasted five dollars if you paid to see Whorehouse and you didn’t see me and Burt kiss?”
Happy Hippie Dolly
A happy looking Dolly hones a bit of a hippie vibe in this 1977 image. This look is far more relaxed than her 80s styles, with stunning soft curls, double denim, and a floral headband that feels very Woodstock. 1977 is considered by many to be Dolly’s breakthrough year, with her album Here You Come Again becoming her first million-seller, topping the country album chart and reaching number 20 on the pop chart. Yes, Dolly’s star was rising!
The Original Queen Beehive
This stunning black and white photo of Dolly is dated 1966, and the hairstyle absolutely confirms this! It must have taken several bottles of hairspray to style this sky-high look. Either that or it’s a great wig! In 1966, Dolly was just 20 years old but she was already a prolific songwriter. Her single “Put It Off Until Tomorrow” went to number six on the country chart, but it was recorded by Bill Phillips, with Dolly uncredited on harmony.
The Biggest Hair In Showbiz
If one beehive wasn’t enough, here’s another rare photo of Dolly from the same era that proves she really has been wearing wigs her entire career! Some say she was dedicated to having the biggest hair in the business. Around this time, country music entertainer Porter Wagoner offered Dolly a spot on his weekly TV show, replacing Norma Jean. Wagoner’s audience was reluctant to accept Parton, but they soon warmed to her after hearing her sing.
Dolly In Technicolor
This extremely rare late 60s color photo shows Dolly and Porter Wagoner on the set of The Porter Wagoner Show. The on-screen chemistry between the pair was evident and fans embraced the duo, becoming the No. 1 syndicated show in America. Each 30-minute episode featured performances by Porter, Dolly, and a special guest. The show was originally filmed in black and white but switched to technicolor around the same time that Dolly joined the gang.
The Peter Wagoner Era
This vintage photo shows Dolly alongside Porter Wagoner, whose show she worked on for seven years. They recorded and promoted several popular albums together, including Just the Two of Us and Together Always, to great critical acclaim. Dolly left to pursue her own career, penning the song “I Will Always Love You” about her professional break from Wagoner. She played the song, covered by Whitney Houston many years later, for him as her way of saying goodbye.
Homegirl at Heart
The rarest of rare photos – Dolly without a wig! This rare photo is difficult to find anything out about, though it looks to be 1960s, based on her bright blush, lipstick, and eyelash to eyebrow eyeshadow. She may be a country superstar, but Dolly is a homegirl at heart. Her worldwide smash “My Tennessee Mountain Home” is dedicated to her love of the simple life with her family, far away from the glitz and glamour.
Love At The Laundromat
A young and radiant Dolly is pictured here with her husband Carl Dean. Dean is an asphalt contractor, and although it may seem an unlikely pairing, the couple is still happily married, thanks to their mutual love and respect. The pair first crossed paths in a laundromat in Nashville in 1964. For Dean, it was love at first sight. He revealed, “My first thought was ‘I’m gonna marry that girl’. My second thought was, ‘Lord she’s good lookin.'”
Real Life Dolly
This rare photo of Dolly Parton from a 1979 photoshoot shows the singer looking particularly buxom! Dolly has never shied away from comments about her surgeries saying, “I’m not like a real person. I love being artificial!” She went on to say, “I think there’s a little magic in the fact that I’m so totally real, but look so artificial at the same time. If I see something saggin’, baggin’ or draggin’, I’m gonna have it nipped, tucked or sucked.”
Dolly’s Words Of Wisdom
Dolly has always been the perfect combination of beauty, brains, and quick wit. A source of inspiration for women worldwide, she said, “I’m not going to limit myself just because people won’t accept the fact that I can do something else.” Dolly’s words of wisdom encourage others to look on the bright side, believe in themselves, and stick it out through the storm. “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”
Enough To Drive You Crazy
This photo of Dolly and a typewriter is taken from the 1980s film 9 to 5. There were a lot of women in the workplace by the 1980s, but the glass ceiling was very much intact as far as roles were concerned. Women were usually relegated to administrative roles, which is reflected in the lyrics to the song “9 to 5,” “They just use your mind and they never give you credit. It’s enough to drive you crazy if you let it!”
Anthemic Dolly
The photo shows Dolly Parton in another scene from the 1980 comedy 9 to 5. The film’s theme song took on a life of its own, becoming an anthem for all types of workers and unions. Labor leader Karen Nussbaum described it as starting with pride – ‘Pour myself a cup of ambition,’ going onto grievances – ‘Barely getting by,’ and touching on class conflict – ‘You’re just a step on the bossman’s ladder,’ before ending with collective power.
Candid Camera
This candid photo of Dolly, by photographer Gene Spatz, was first uncovered decades after it was taken when the photographer’s sister unearthed a box of photos Gene had taken of celebrities back in the 1970s and 1980s. Dolly, complete with a denim jacket and killer eyelashes, would have been in her early 30s. At this time, she was trying to break out of the country scene in Nashville and introduce her music to the rest of the world.
I Wanna Fall In Love
This glamorous photo was taken in February 1978 in Los Angeles as the album art for Dolly’s 20th studio album, Heartbreaker. The album was marketed to pop fans, and some of the tracks verged on disco which was hugely popular then. The remix of “I Wanna Fall in Love” became a huge hit in nightclubs and the album stayed at #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for nine weeks. It was even certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association!
Dolly Across The Pond
Dolly looks flawless in this fitted and flared jumpsuit! This rare image was used for the back cover of the UK pressing of her greatest hits album Best of Dolly Parton Volume 2, which was released in 1975. The double vinyl opened with “Jolene” before continuing with 11 of her other strongest hits such as “I Will Always Love You” and “Traveling Man,” proving that by 1975, Dolly was already a hit with the Brits!
The Bigger The Hair
Dolly looked radiant in this photo from the 1977 Grammy awards, one of the first years the ceremony was televised. Dolly was there to sing, but she first stole the hearts of the audience with her gravity-defying big hair. It wasn’t until the following year that the country singer got her first Grammy nomination, but she surely turned a few heads with this look! As Dolly once quipped, “The bigger the hair, the closer to God.”
Rhinestone Cowboys
Sylvester Stallone must have said something funny to make Dolly laugh like that! This rare shot is another from the 1984 Rhinestone era. The plot of the movie centered around Dolly teaching Stallone to sing like a true country star. Stallone is not known for having a sweet singing voice. He’s more famous for kicking down doors and fighting bad guys in action movies like Rocky and Rambo, which is another reason why this casting was a strange choice.
Parton With That Poetry
This modern but lesser-known photo of Dolly shows her making her rapping debut on The Queen Latifah Show at age 67! The country legend opted for gold chains and a platinum afro and performed a rap she wrote for Queen Latifah. “I wanna talk to you about the queen,” she rapped. “Now, Queen Latifah, she the queen of hip-hop, rap, TV, and screen. Now she the queen of her own hood, but I’m the queen of Dollywood!”
Friends For Life
This 9 to 5 era shot shows Dolly sitting at the piano with none other than co-star Lily Tomlin. Then relatively unknown, the hilarious Tomlin is now a renowned comedian best know for her improvisation and observational stand-up. You can still catch Tomlin on TV in the Netflix series Grace and Frankie. Tomlin plays Frankie Bergstein, a woman recently separated from her husband of forty years. She received her first Emmy nomination in 2015 as a lead actress for the role.
Dolly’s Jazziest Look
Dolly recently shared this photo of herself in 2016 when out on tour and revealed one of her many hidden talents. Not only is Dolly dressed head to toe in rhinestones, but she’s tooting on a tiny bedazzled saxophone! Dolly is quite the musician. Although she is known for her singing voice, she also plays several stringed instruments. In her concerts, she’s known to play acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 5-string banjo, fiddle, dulcimer, piano, and autoharp.
Dolly Giving Thanks
This holiday photo was taken as a promotional shot for Dollywood in 1987. Dollywood, co-owned by Dolly herself, opened as a small tourist attraction in 1961 and grew to become the biggest ticketed tourist attraction in Tennessee. The theme park features amusement park thrill rides, traditional crafts, music from the Smoky Mountain area, and hosts a range of concerts and musical events each year. It is also the site of the Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame.
Here’s To Dolly
So here’s to Dolly, our golden country songstress who inspires us with her uniqueness and talent! Dolly says, “The key to my success has always been that my desire to succeed has always been greater than my fear.” “I’ve been scared to death about a lot of things, but then I think, ‘Okay, you gotta buckle up, girl. You’ve got yourself here, so get out there and just do it.’ And I just ask God to help me, and I follow that light.” Amen, sister!
