at the los angeles premiere of "steel magnolias" on november 9, 1989, country diva dolly parton was a walking embodiment of that decade of excess: skyscraper hair, elongated nails, pneumatic boobs, and a dress smothered in rhinestones. "i kinda patterned my look after cinderella and mother goose -- and the local hooker," she once said, always ready to beat her critics to a punchline
At the Premiere of "Steel Magnolia" in Los Angeles on November 9, 1989, country diva Dolly Parton was the embodiment of that decade of overstay: skyscraper-like hair, elongated nails, inflatable breasts, and a skirt covered with Rhinestone. "I'm a bit like Cinderella and Mother Goose — and the local prostitutes," she once said, always ready to beat her critics to pieces.
it was perfect attire for a woman who now owned her own theme park, dollywood. while early parton favored down-home country checks, ruffled grand ole opry-style gowns or bubblegum-pink jumpsuits, '80s parton lit a rocket under her cowgirl look, multiplying the sequins and weaponizing the bimbo cliché. "i'm not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because i know i'm not dumb... and i also know i'm not blonde," she is said to have quipped.
It's the perfect outfit for women who now own their own theme park Dollywood. While early Patons favored unpretentious country plaids, ruffled Grand Oliopaura-style robes or bubblegum pink jumpsuits, the 80s Paddon lit a rocket under denim attire, multiplying sequins and weaponizing those clichéd clichés. "I'm not going to be irritated by those stupid blonde jokes because I know I'm not stupid... I also know I'm not blonde," she is said to have quipped.
by the 1980s, the singer who wrote the hits "jolene" and "i will always love you" on the same day had parlayed her success as a nashville country artist into mainstream pop stardom, and set her sights on hollywood. she made her feature debut in 1980 with office revenge fantasy "9 to 5" -- parton has said she wrote its hit title song on set, tapping out the beat with those icepick acrylic nails to mimic a typewriter.
By the 1980s, the singer who had written the hits "Jolene" and "I will Always Love You" on the same day had built her success as a Nashville country singer into a mainstream pop star and set her sights on Hollywood. In 1980, she made her debut as the office revenge fantasy film 9:5. Parton said she wrote a hit song on set, tapping beats with ice-like acrylic nails, mimicking a typewriter.
"steel magnolias" was parton's fourth film, with an ensemble cast that included shirley maclaine, sally field, julia roberts and daryl hannah. set amid the gossip and hairspray of a louisiana beauty salon, on the surface it's chick-flick fare. but beneath the wedding cakes and christmas sweaters run some unexpectedly complex, dark currents -- not to mention some killer one-liners ("in a good shoe i wear a size six, but a seven feels so good, i buy a size eight," parton's character truvy says with a beaming smile).
Steel Magnolia is Parton's fourth film, with a cast that includes Shirley McLean, Sally Field, Julia Roberts, and Daryl Hannah. The background is gossip and hairspray from a beauty salon in Louisiana, ostensibly the fare for chicks. But underneath the wedding cake and Christmas sweater, there are some unexpectedly complicated undercurrents — not to mention some killer tricks ( Parton's character Truville laughs and says, "In a good pair of shoes, I'm wearing a size 6, but a size 7 feels so good, I bought the size 8.") ”。
n that respect, the film was much like parton herself: her fountain of platinum hair and surplus silicone have always gone hand-in-hand with prodigious talent, shrewd business sense, and a conviction that all of these things can coexist in one bedazzled package.
In this respect, the film resembles Parton himself: her blond hair and excess silicone always go hand in hand with her astonishing brilliance, shrewd business acumen, and a belief that all of these things can coexist in a dazzling package.
but life wasn't always so glitzy. it's hard to begrudge the joy of a princess dress to a woman who used burnt matchsticks for eyeliner as a teenager. one of 12 children born in a two-room cabin at the foot of the great smoky mountains, in locus ridge, tennessee, the tales from parton's penniless childhood have found their way into her lyrics: the dolls made from corn cobs, or the coats stitched from rags that got her bullied by her classmates. her sharecropper father is said to have paid the doctor who delivered her with a sack of cornmeal.
But life isn't always so dazzling. For a teenage woman who makes mascara with matches, it's hard to be jealous of the fun of a princess dress. Born in a two-room cottage at the foot of Rocksbridge Great Smoky Mountain in Tennessee, Tennessee, Parton's destitute childhood story incorporated her lyrics: dolls made of corn cobs, or coats sewn from rags, that put her bullied by her classmates. Her sharecropper father is said to have paid a bag of corn flour to the doctor who delivered her.
parton debuted that crystal clear voice of hers at the grand ole opry in nashville aged just 13. she was introduced by johnny cash, belted out the george jones number "you gotta be my baby" and got three encores.
Parton first demonstrated her clear voice at the Oprah Theater in Nashville, at the age of 13. She was introduced by Johnny Cash, who said out loud George Jones's number "You Must Be My Baby" and got three more performances.
steeped in the rich musical traditions of appalachian bluegrass and folk murder ballads, her early "sad-ass songs," as she has described them, were anything but fluffy. she sang about abortion, teenage pregnancy, stillbirth, and suicide -- topics that jar with her perennially sunny, rhinestone-studded southern persona, but this riddle of seeming contradictions has been part of parton's appeal from the start.
In early folk songs, she described them as "grassy grasses of sorrow, but these ballads are full of sadness". She sang about abortion, teenage pregnancy, stillbirths and suicides that were at odds with her perennial sunny, rhinestone-covered Southerner personality, but the seemingly contradictory mystery was part of Parton's appeal from the start.
today, the multi-hyphenated phenomenon has sold more than 100 million records, won 11 grammys, and had 25 no.1 singles. she has written memoirs and cookbooks and over 3,000 songs. she has a fortune estimated at $600m, a wig for every day of the year (or so the story goes), and a big-hearted appeal that appears to cross all divides.
Today, this multi-hyphen phenomenon has sold more than 100 million records, won 11 Grammy Awards, and has 25 singles topped the list. She has written memoirs, cookbooks and more than 3,000 songs. She has an estimated $600 million fortune, wears a wig every day of the year (the story goes), and she has a generous appeal that transcends all differences.
but the singer has never forgotten her roots: her charitable foundation, imagination library, dedicated to her illiterate father, delivers free books to children under the age of five -- over 100 million books to date -- and has sponsored scholarships for high school students in the region where she grew up. visitors to dollywood, in pigeon forge, tennessee, with its rollercoasters and stores selling gumballs and bible covers, can also step inside a loving recreation of her childhood cabin, complete with rusted tins and lye soap. parton continues to call tennessee home, living just outside of nashville, the city that last year made august 5 "dolly parton day".
But the singer never forgot her roots: her charitable foundation, the Imagine Library, dedicated to her illiterate father, giving away books for free to children under the age of five — more than 100 million books to date, and providing scholarships to high school students in the areas where she grew up. Dollywood's Pigeon Fort, Tennessee, where there are roller coasters and shops selling chewing gum and Bible covers, visitors can also walk into her childhood cottage with rusty cans and lye soap. Parton continues to call Tennessee home, living outside Nashville, and on August 5 last year, the city was designated "Dolly Parton Day."
somewhere on the grounds of her estate, rumor has it, there is a bunker housing tens of thousands of her ensembles from over the years. as she's aged, her wardrobe has kept pace with the indefatigable diva, increasingly underlining her refusal to take herself too seriously: her looks have spanned from saloon madame to neon peter pan, mostly encasing her 5-foot frame as tightly as possible to accentuate her physics-defying bust-to-waist ratio. ("i like to buy clothes that are two sizes too small and then take them in a little," goes another dollyism.)
Rumor has it that somewhere on her estate, there is a bunker that houses tens of thousands of troupes she has had for years. As she grew older, her wardrobe kept pace with the indomitable heroine, accentuating her refusal to take herself too seriously: Her looks ranged from Madame Tavern to the neon Peter Pan, mostly wrapping her 5-foot-tall body as tightly as possible to accentuate her defying physical booby-waist ratio. ("I like to buy clothes that are two sizes smaller and then wear them a little smaller," says another puppetist.) ）
she's been known to combine tassels, polka dots and stripes in a single outfit. she is that rare person who looks red-carpet-ready in triple denim. and she is the undisputed queen of matching her dress to her musical instrument -- parton can play just about any, including the saxophone, guitar, banjo and, indeed, the pan-flute. yet for all their cantilevered complexity, her costumes are still somewhat diy -- she has said she buys many off the rack, adding her own adornments of beads and rhinestones.
She is known to combine tassels, dots and stripes in a single outfit. She was the rare kind of person who wore three layers of denim. There's no doubt that she's a queen who matches her outfit to an instrument — Parton can play almost any instrument, including saxophone, guitar, banjo, and even a pan flute. However, despite the cantilevered complexity, her outfit is a bit diy — she says she buys a lot of ready-made clothes, plus her own beads and Rhinestone ornaments.
at 74, she is increasingly considered a feminist icon, but parton herself refuses to use the f-word. so her actions over her six-decade career will have to speak for themselves: this is a woman who stood up to elvis and colonel parker by refusing to sign over the publishing rights to "i will always love you" back in 1974, when the king wanted to record it -- a canny move considering the millions she has made from the song since.
At the age of 74, she is increasingly considered a feminist icon, but Parton himself refuses to use the f-word. As a result, her actions during her 60-year career will have to speak for herself: The lady who refused to sign the publishing rights to I Will Always Love You in 1974, a brave woman, refused to sign the publishing rights to I Will Always Love You — a shrewd move considering the millions of dollars she earned from the song.