On Her 80th Birthday, Revisit 19 Vintage Photos of a Young Dolly Parton
You’ll recognize her silhouette first: the voluminous blonde coiffure, the sharp acrylic talons, the perfectly lined coral lips. The legend that is Dolly Parton has a look that she has maintained since her early days on cable television in the 1960s.
Parton, who turned 80 today, made her name on the country circuit as a kid, performing on local Tennessee radio and television stations. When she was 12 she met Johnny Cash at the Grande Ole Opry, and he convinced her to pursue her dreams.
Parton is, without question, an iconic recording artist, songwriter, philantrophist, raconteur. But one thing she rejects is her status as a fashion icon. “I always laugh when I get called a fashion icon,” she previously told Vogue. “I’m more of an eyesore! Only because I overdo it.”
Nevertheless, her outfit archive is undeniably the stuff of country-glam legend. And, in a cultural landscape now littered with artists attempting to package their careers into neatly defined “eras,” there’s something especially pleasing about her consistency.
As the country music legend turns 80, revisit some pivotal moments in her early career.
Photo: Getty Images1/19Dolly Rebecca Parton at roughly 10 years old.
Photo: Getty Images2/19Dolly has been frank about her use of wigs, having realized early on that they were a great way to “never have a bad hair day.”
Photo: Getty Images3/19Dolly loves flowers, describing them as “little rays of sunshine.” She famously adores roses—so much so that a species has been named after her. (Look up the Dolly Parton Tea Rose!)
Photo: Getty Images4/19Dolly and Porter Wagoner (pictured) had an interesting relationship. They were collaborators—he invited Dolly onto his show as a musical guest in 1967, where she eventually became a regular. He ended up having a large financial stake in Parton’s career as it took off, causing friction in their partnership. Dolly wrote “I Will Always Love You” about Wagoner.
Photo: Getty Images5/19Dolly was seven when she first began playing on a homemade guitar. The following year, an uncle bought her a real one.
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