[I’ve made no secret of my love and admiration for Dolly Parton. She’s right up there with LiZiqi and the ladies of Larkin Poe on the heartthrob scale. This is just a little tribute on the occasion of her 76th birthday. Sorry for the screwy formatting. I can’t figure out how to undo it. SB SM]
January 19, 2022, published on Vogue.com
Dolly Parton has had something of a renaissance in recent years. There was a podcast, Dolly Parton’s America, devoted to her rise; a Netflix show, Heartstrings; a musical and a book, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics; all topped off with a festive movie, Christmas on the Square. Decades after she first stepped into the spotlight, the queen of country music (and her rhinestone-embellished attire) still inspires a love that knows no bounds.
The singer may famously sidestep politics, but her always witty, often wise words on other topics more than make up for it. With a career spanning over 50 years and a string of unforgettable songs to her name (she did “I Will Always Love You” before Whitney), Parton has managed to achieve the near-impossible: cross-generational appeal.
On her 76th birthday, Vogue takes a look back at some of Dolly’s greatest quotes to date—along with some of her best (and most bedazzled) ensembles.
“I was the first woman to burn my bra—it took the fire department four days to put it out.”
“After you reach a certain age, they think you’re over. Well, I will never be over. I’ll be making records if I have to sell them out of the trunk of my car. I’ve done that in my past, and I’d do it again.”
“Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”
“I look like a woman but I think like a man. I’ve done business with men who think I’m as silly as I look. By the time they realize I’m not, I’ve got the money and gone.”
“You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try.”
“It costs a lot of money to look this cheap.”
“I have to not harden my heart, because I want to stay open to feel things. So when I hurt, I hurt all over. And when I cry, I cry real hard. And when I’m mad, I’m mad all over. I’m just a person; I like to experience whatever the feeling is and whatever I’m going through.”
“I always count my blessings more than I count my money. I don’t work for money. Never did.”
“I’m not offended by all of the dumb blonde jokes because I know I’m not dumb… and I also know that I’m not blonde.”
“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”
“I’m not going to limit myself just because people won’t accept the fact that I can do something else.”
Thanks for sharing these pearls of wisdom from Dolly Parton, just what’s I needed for courage to go out and try out my new ski boots in my first solo ski day so far!