Althouse: "A lot of people told me that I might have done better if I ‘got rid of all that hair, makeup, and those gaudy clothes.'"

May 19, 2014

"A lot of people told me that I might have done better if I ‘got rid of all that hair, makeup, and those gaudy clothes.'"

"And I said, 'No, I don’t, because this is how I feel comfortable,' I’m not a natural beauty. I kinda patterned myself after the town tramp in our hometown because she had all that yellow hair and makeup. I always wanted that. I always felt more INSIDE than I was on the outside. I figure when I’m 100 years old, I’ll look like Zsa Zsa and Eva Gabor. 'Cause it’s almost like a cartoon look. But it’s the way I feel comfortable."

Said Dolly Parton.

28 comments:

traditionalguy said...: Great lady. I love her personality and her songs.

An interviewer asked Dolly one last question, "....are those real?" Her reply was, "You don't really think I could grow nails this long."; 5/19/14, 6:44 PM
The Godfather said...: Whatever works for you, Dolly. Personally, I think she could have dressed like a nun and I still would have thought she was great.; 5/19/14, 6:47 PM
Sydney said...: I wonder if it's easier for a shy person to perform if she puts on a conscious costume like that for her public persona.

And by the way, she looks great. You can tell she's had some plastic work, but still looks great. Also looks thinner than she did in her prime.; 5/19/14, 6:51 PM
Ctmom4 said...: I like Dolly. She's a hoot.; 5/19/14, 6:58 PM
Ann Althouse said...: That whole interview was 100% entertaining. What an exemplar of charm!; 5/19/14, 7:06 PM
YoungHegelian said...: Carol Burnett (looking down at Dolly Parton's feet): "And your feet! You've got the tiniest little feet"

Dolly Parton: "Well, things don't grow in the shade."; 5/19/14, 7:10 PM
Michael said...: She and Porter Wagonner were on local tv every saturday when I was growing up. She was a child.

She is as real as it gets with a fabulous sense of humor.; 5/19/14, 7:14 PM
Pettifogger said...: My favorite Dolly quote is, "It costs a lot of money to look this cheap."; 5/19/14, 7:33 PM
Unknown said...: HA! She HAD to dress like that. If she hadn't, she'd have faded into the background standing next to Porter Wagoner. Love her! Very classy, down-to-earth and an excellent talent to boot.; 5/19/14, 7:48 PM
Skeptical Voter said...: Dolly could have been ugly as a speckled pup, bless her heart.

With that voice and her songwriting talent folks still would have watched and listened.; 5/19/14, 7:58 PM
bandmeeting said...: In My Tennessee Mountain Home.; 5/19/14, 8:39 PM
George M. Spencer said...: Net worth?

$450 million, according to the website Celebrity Net Worth.

Dollywood is a massive, massive place. It's in the middle of a $300 million expansion now.

No fool she. Carefully constructed persona.; 5/19/14, 8:59 PM
The Godfather said...: @St. George: If Dolly Parton is worth $450 Million, God bless her! She made it all honestly, by giving people what they wanted. She was never a Solyndra.; 5/19/14, 9:39 PM
Sam L. said...: Dolly knows what she's doing, and why. Many can't deal with that.; 5/19/14, 10:34 PM
NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...: Dolly Parton doesn't set foot outside without being made up.

I think she's great.; 5/19/14, 10:45 PM
Bob R said...: Great singer, great songwriter, and a really smart businesswoman. You know having Elvis sing "And I'll Always Love You" would have been a big short-term payday, but I'm sure she's made it back many times over. (Tom Parker (the Lying Dutchman) is another very interesting character.); 5/20/14, 6:02 AM
Heartless Aztec said...: Play her hit record Jolene (the 45rpm at 33 and 1/2 rpm and you'll have a whole new appreciation of her vocal skills.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wmWTZaSu3c; 5/20/14, 6:19 AM
Ann Althouse said...: @BobR She tells that story in the interview (which I heard on satellite radio). Don't know if it's included in the clips at the links. But she had already had a hit with the song, and she was happy that Elvis wanted to do the song, but Tom Parker insisted on owning the copyright to it -- like that was how Elvis always did it -- and she was smart enough to turn him down.; 5/20/14, 6:58 AM
Ann Althouse said...: Elvis could have done the song without acquiring all of the rights to it, and it's unlikely the Vega-period Elvis doing the song would have sold all that well, and this was long before the Whitney Houston version that sold the most. Would that song even have been chosen for "The Bodyguard" if it had become an Elvis song?; 5/20/14, 7:00 AM
Ann Althouse said...: @surfed I played that out loud for Meade and he could not guess who/what it was. He guessed Robert Plant.; 5/20/14, 7:05 AM
Larry J said...: I saw a BBC documentary on her a couple years ago. About the time she made the movie, "9 to 5", she took Jane Fonda back in the hills where she grew up. Fonda described how they went to places where outsiders aren't welcome unless a local is with them. While there, Dolly sang her song "Coat of Many Colors". Fonda admitted in the interview that she broke down crying. Dolly came up the hard way from the very bottom, completely without "priviledge". Ever bit of success she has achieved, she earned with hard work and talent. She built Dollywood to help create jobs in an economically depressed part of the state. I don't always like country music, but I almost always love Dolly Pardon. She was unable to have children of her own so she dotes on her nieces and nephews. However, she tells them that "I can't give you everything you want but I'll give you what you need." Class.; 5/20/14, 7:40 AM
Heartless Aztec said...: God knows what would happen if it was played backwards...; 5/20/14, 7:54 AM
paminwi said...: Never would have thought I would have enjoyed Nashville and the Studio B tour. Heard the story about Dolly Parton and was impressed at her business sense a a young woman.

Also learned on that tour that a picture of Charlie Pride was not used in any of his promotional materials for a few years and no big concerts were allowed. He only had songs on the radio because his producers did not want anyone to know he was black. Once everyone loved his music they let him perform.

So many more interesting stories to be learned.; 5/20/14, 8:36 AM
Freder Frederson said...: Dolly knows what she's doing, and why. Many can't deal with that.

"Many"?! Name one person who has criticized Dolly Parton for anything. She is universally beloved and recognized as a great artist, philanthropist, and business person.; 5/20/14, 9:25 AM
Meade said...: "God knows what would happen if it was played backwards..."

I buried Porter.; 5/20/14, 9:31 AM
CatherineM said...: Love Dolly. My dad recalls seeing her in an airport right after she really crossed over wide in fame during the 9 to 5 movie success. He said everyone was waving "hey Dolly!" and she waved, said hey and smiled as she walked through. No "tude." He also said she was teeny tiny.; 5/20/14, 11:05 AM
Heartless Aztec said...: Thread to Meade...; 5/20/14, 11:55 AM
Wilbur said...: The Porter Waganer Show still plays occasionally on the RFD or Family Net channels. It's truly like a trip back in time.

A piece of trivia: Porter was a huge James Brown fan, and arranged for him to do the Opry in the early 80's.; 5/20/14, 12:28 PM