Dolly Parton has always been unapologetically herself. Well, that’s what the general public perception of her entails, anyway. However, Dolly Parton actually once said that her life and career are a somewhat twisted dichotomy, similar to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In other words, she has lived a double life: A life on the stage and then a life off of it. This story isn’t necessarily unique, though. It is a story that subverts the very being of Dolly Parton.
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Dolly Parton has always leaned into the ornate, the glitzy, and the glamour of the music business. She said it herself: “It takes a lot of time and money to look this cheap.”
However, this embellished version of Parton isn’t something that has come easy for her, and she transparently divulged that fact in her book Dolly On Dolly.
It Isn’t All Hot Pink and Rhinestones for Dolly Parton
As stated previously, the story of a double identity in show business is not anything new. Regarding its redundancy, Parton’s reasoning for her double life is similar to others. In its simplest form, Parton’s hyperbolized persona is a coping mechanism for her iconic status.
“I look one way and am another,” she said in her memoir. “It makes for a good combination. I always think of ‘her,’ the Dolly image, like a ventriloquist does his dummy. I have fun with it.”
As fun and alluring as this dual persona might seem, Parton’s need for it is because she needs to be liked by everyone. At least, according to some of her friends, that’s the case.
Regarding this desire, Parton’s friend, Alanna Nash, stated in Parton’s memoir that “the most important thing in Dolly’s life is that people like her.”
“Because it’s real obvious that she does not think they do,” said Nash. “[Dolly] once told me, ‘If I showed myself just like I was, nobody would like me. No one would think that I was a star.’”
Nash added to the comments by stating: “With Dolly, she wants you to love her, but maybe she doesn’t want to have to give it back. Dolly doesn’t think she’s pretty. If she did, she wouldn’t wear wigs and rhinestones. People making over her is enjoyable to her.”
It is unclear whether Nash is discussing “Dolly” or the real Dolly Parton. If she is speaking about the latter, those are some rather intense comments from a friend. Nonetheless, the confusion and blurring of lines is partially what provides Dolly Parton with her mass appeal. After all, doesn’t everybody wear a mask to some extent? And if so, isn’t it comforting to know that one of the biggest stars on Earth does the same?
Photo by David Redfern/Redferns
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