Dolly Parton was, and will always be, the “Backwoods Barbie.”
The vivacious music legend, who died Aug. 25 at age 80, extolled all manner of wisdom throughout her 70-year career, sharing delightful yet sneakily profound gems about beauty, confidence, self-love and hard work.
And as a cherished pop-culture figure, she knew the power that her art had to bring people together.
“I think music does unify us,” Parton told USA TODAY in 2023. “I think that’s the universal language, as they say. ‘The voice of the soul.’”
Parton spoke to USA TODAY many times throughout her life. Here are just a few of the most memorable things that she had to share with us.
Dolly Parton knew people thought of her as just 'part of the family'
Most of us grew up with Parton in one way or another, whether it was through her music and films, or visiting
her Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. As a result, she always took her icon status very seriously.
"It’s a little scary sometimes; I hope I can live up to all of that!" Parton told USA TODAY in 2023. "But I think a lot of it is that I’ve been around for so long. I’m like a favorite aunt, or a favorite godmother, or a favorite sister. I’ve been around so long that people just think of me as part of the family! I’ve just been a fixture in their lives. I like that I’m part of that – I just hope I never let anybody down. I ain’t as important as some of you make me sound!"
Over the decades, Parton has appeared on all types of merchandise, and she enjoyed seeing her likeness at drag shows.
"I’m big with the drag queens," Parton said. "Every now and then, I’ll get these videos [of Dolly lookalikes]. I’ve also seen myself on those Duncan Hines cake boxes in the supermarket. I’ve signed so many of those boxes – I’ve now signed more cake mixes than I have photos through the years."
For Parton, 'true fashion is what you're most comfortable in'
In Parton's 2023 book "Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones," the singer wrote: “Not everybody’s supposed to look like a movie star. You should be comfortable in your own skin, no matter how far it stretches.” It's a realization she made early on.
"I think I’ve always been [confident]," Parton told USA TODAY in 2023. "That [comment] started out as a joke: I was referring to plastic surgery, and how I’ve done those nips and tucks. I always think of myself as a workhorse that looks like a show horse, and I’ve got to keep that show horse up. So I do whatever it takes. The same with clothes: I really do think that fashion is not just what’s fashionable. True fashion is what you’re most comfortable in. If you’re going to be motivated and motivating, you need to feel comfortable in what you wear. If you think you look good, you’re going to do better. You’re going to be more apt to step forward and be assertive."
Parton once revealed 'the only thing' that would make her retire
Parton worked steadily for roughly seven decades, and up until this last year, she never slowed down.
"Work is everything to me," Parton told USA TODAY in 2024. "That's all I know. It's what I do. It's how all these things have come to pass. ... I would only retire if I was ill or if my husband [Carl Dean] was ill and needed me. That'd be the only thing that would make me pull back."
Parton was a generous philanthropist who worked tirelessly to help children's education, disaster relief, and COVID-19 research. She even helped fund the Moderna vaccine.
“I think I’m getting more credit than I deserve,” Parton told USA TODAY in 2021. “But I was just so happy to be a small part, and to plant a seed that would grow into something bigger. ... My heart always guides me and leads me."
Parton always acknowledged it cost 'a lot of money to look this cheap'
The 11-time Grammy winner long-embraced her big hair and voluptuous figure, and she spoke proudly and candidly about her cosmetic procedures.
"If you need a nip and tuck, find the good doctors. But I've outlived so many plastic surgeons, it's kind of hard to try to find the right ones," Parton joked to USA TODAY in 2024.
"There's a lot of maintenance," she continued. "My joke of, 'It costs a lot of money to look this cheap' ‒ that's so true because I like to look a certain way. I can't just put on a little bit of makeup and think I look good because I don't look good with a little bit of makeup. I like to wear a lot of makeup. It fits my personality. Even if somebody says, 'Oh God, she was so over-made.' Well, if it fits me then I'm going to make everybody around me happy because I'm going to feel good myself."
Parton said she was 'silly enough' to believe in her dreams
Parton came from humble beginnings in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, growing up in a one-room cabin with 11 siblings and a "coat of many colors" that her mother sewed together from fabric scraps (and inspired the name of a song and album). She learned the importance of dreaming big from a young age.
"I was silly enough to believe it could be done, and I didn't know it couldn't be done, until I did it, as they say," Parton told USA TODAY in 2024. "I'd worked in the fields, being a country girl and I've done all that menial labor because that was just the chores and stuff we had to do back home. But I hated every minute of it. I didn't like school either."
When she moved to Nashville after high school to pursue music, "I thought, 'Well, what's the worst that can happen?'" Parton said. "'I can always go back home, study to be a beautician and still get cheap makeup and bleach and all the stuff that I was going to always do no matter what.'"
Parton shared who really inspired her 'jealous' anthem 'Jolene'
Parton once said that there was concern her beloved 1977 single "Here You Come Again" would be "too pop" for her country fans.
But to her surprise, "that was my first main-selling record," Parton recalled to USA TODAY in 2023. "Everybody said I was making a mistake, so I was just praying, 'Lord, please don’t let me be a flop. Let me have a hit record.' And the Lord was good! That was really my big start toward a bigger career."
"Jolene" is another of her most enduring songs. The 1973 country hit was inspired by a redheaded bank teller who she thought had flirted with Parton's husband, Carl.
"I saw her recently and she was big as a barn!" Parton joked to USA TODAY in 2023. "No, actually, it wasn't as severe as I made the song. I was just a little jealous that she was prettier than me, so you always feel a little threatened when that happens. But it was not a big deal ‒ it was just good for a song, let's put it that way. And I was only joking about seeing her."
Parton was 'so proud' of 'rock chick' goddaughter Miley Cyrus
Parton's 49th and final studio album was 2023's "Rockstar," featuring more than two dozen collaborations with rock legends including Elton John, Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks, and Steven Tyler. She also duetted with her goddaughter, Miley Cyrus, on the pop star's "Wrecking Ball."
"It was necessary for me," Parton told USA TODAY in 2023. "I love that song and I love Miley. But she was one of the first people I thought about. I knew I had to have her on my rock album because Miley is the new rock chick in my mind. I love her whole voice, her whole persona, she’s just a rock star. And she’s my goddaughter and I’ve loved her all my life and we’re very close and we sing great together. I’m really proud of that."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dolly Parton's best quotes to USA TODAY about life, looks and 'Jolene'
