Dolly Parton Gave Fans A Rare Glimpse Of Her Real Hair

Dolly Parton is an iconic country music star known for many things: that Southern charm, her ability to poke fun at herself, and of course, her ample bosom. But her larger-than-life blonde wig has always been near the top of that list, too. In fact, most people can't picture the country music star without the voluminous 'do. So when the legend recently gave fans a sneak peek, they couldn’t believe what she was rocking underneath.

Style icon

Dolly just wouldn’t be Dolly without her iconic hairdo. It goes hand-in-hand with her glittery outfits and tops off her legendary style. But, you may be wondering, how on earth did the Nashville legend create such an attention-grabbing look? The truth really is quite fascinating.

Image inspiration

Dolly, you see, owes her entire image to a rather unlikely individual. Back in 2016, she told Jimmy Fallon on his late-night show that she was heavily influenced by her hometown’s prostitute. “I thought she was the most beautiful thing because she had all this makeup, hair, tight clothes and everything I wanted,” Dolly admitted. And this obviously included the big, blonde hairdo!

Owning it

Dolly has gone under the knife many times in order to achieve her desired look. And unlike a lot of stars who seem to have had plastic surgery, she’s never been afraid to admit it. “I’m not a natural beauty,” the singer told CBS Sunday Morning in 2019. “But I can enhance it. Whatever it takes, I do. I try to make the most of everything.”

Some work here and there

When it comes to these procedures, Dolly’s go-to guy is Dr. John Grossman. And he’s even opened up about what she’s had done in the past. In 2003, for instance, he told People magazine, “She has a generous bosom, which I augmented some years ago. She’s had her face rejuvenated on a number of occasions, [but] not a full face-lift.” But before all this, Dolly had a much more natural look.

Even back then

Though even when Dolly was just starting out, one thing was very clear: the budding country singer simply loved a big hairdo. In this photo from 1965, it was so tall that it even gave Dusty Springfield’s famous do a run for its money. Anyone else wanna know what she was hiding in there?

Experimenting with style

Dolly was obviously still experimenting with her sense of style when she first made a name for herself. In her first ever appearance, where she sang alongside Porter Wagoner, you can see that her outfit was still fairly understated. And that’s made all the more obvious by her duet partner’s tailor-made Nudie suit.

One version of Dolly

At the beginning of the 1970s, though, Dolly started to dress a little more rock ’n’ roll. In this black-and-white snap, the country singer can be seen joyfully strumming her guitar. And she’s dressed in a barroom-friendly outfit made entirely of denim. Effortlessly cool, if you ask us – especially with those beautiful cascading locks!

Arrival of the big hair

Dolly, it seems, had the perfect outfit for every instrument. When she appeared at the U.K. Country Music Festival in 1976, the star delighted the crowd with her banjo skills. But instead of denim, Dolly wore a more glamorous bejazzled pink dress complete with giant hoop earrings. And, of course, there’s that gorgeous hair again!

Disco-inspired

While Dolly largely ignored the disco craze that swept the 1970s on a musical level, that didn’t mean she couldn’t embrace its fashions. Here, the star looks set to hit the dancefloors of Studio 54 in a sparkling polka-dotted jumpsuit, which she styled with a pair of chunky heels.

The best accessory of all

Funnily enough, Dolly’s unique sense of style seemed to fit in with any fashion scene – as this snap from 1977 confirms. Here, the country star is embracing the hippie look with a denim shirt and a matching blouse and headscarf combo. This look is finished off by Dolly’s best accessory: her radiating smile! But there’s another outfit from that year that fans will always remember...

Showstopper

Yep, commiserations to anyone who tried to upstage Dolly at the 19th Annual Grammys in 1977. The country singer stole the show at the music industry’s biggest night. With her massive blonde hair and frilly, bright-pink lace outfit, this was Dolly at her most showbiz. We’re in love.

Dolly... subdued?

Even though Dolly’s hairdos varied in length, they rarely lacked in volume. Here, she sports a full-bodied bob for her role in 1980’s 9 to 5. Dolly starred as Doralee alongside Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda in the workplace comedy classic. And it looks like she was able to bring her own sense of style to the role.

Rhinestone fashion

Just four years later, Dolly went full-on country again when she appeared in Rhinestone. The double threat plays a Nashville star who needs to transform Sylvester Stallone’s unpleasant taxi driver into a vocalist to win a wager. And her convincing attire included this bejazzled rodeo-friendly outfit complete with a cowboy hat. As you would expect, Dolly looked very different when she rocked up at the film’s premiere.

Full-fledged volume

The “Coat of Many Colors” singer arrived with Stallone wearing a glamorous high-slit white gown. And the giant bouffant she sported wouldn’t have been able to fit under a cowboy hat, that’s for sure!

Defying gravity

We know what you’re thinking: how exactly did Dolly’s hair stay so full and bouncy? Well, you mustn’t forget that in the 1980s, hairspray ruled the world. And after hairspray came shoulder pads – another style move Dolly embraced. In this photo taken from Walt Disney Television Studios, the singer looks primed to step straight onto the set of Dallas.

Diamond-studded

But everything Dolly had ever worn looked relatively understated compared to this dazzling dress she styled in 1989. The country star certainly grabbed all the attention when she hit the red carpet at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Theatre. Here, Dolly’s outfit proves that sometimes, diamonds really are a girl’s best friend.

Fashion chameleon

Later that same year, Dolly showed yet again that she can be a fashion chameleon. While performing on Saturday Night Live, the Nashville icon sported the rock chick look with her studded head-to-toe leather outfit. It was an ensemble that suggested she’d been taking tips from another music legend: Cher.

Signature, by now

But it turns out that Dolly can occasionally keep it simple. In this red carpet pic taken in 1990, she opted for a jumpsuit that was relatively subtle in both its style and color. Of course, Dolly still added some pizzazz with her red fingernails and blonde bouffant. And by now you’re probably starting to understand how rare it is to see the singer without this hairdo!

Main attraction

It’s obviously a huge part of Dolly’s superstar look, which she seems to be able to pull off just about anywhere. Even on one of her theme park’s attractions! During the 1993 grand opening of her beloved Dollywood in the Tennessee city of Pigeon Forge, the Grammy winner hopped into a big wheel cart. And her blush-red outfit complete with dalmatian-print cuffs no doubt thrilled some fans just as much as the rides.

A favorite look

And Dolly’s iconic look and hairdo has certainly stood the test of time, too. Soon after turning the big 5-0, the country star proved she still knew how to flaunt it when she appeared on one of American TV’s biggest chat shows. Yep, on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno back in 1998, Dolly adorned a silvery outfit and a see-through veil that proudly displayed her legs. And enviable style choices like this just kept on coming...

Down to business

At the turn of the century, Dolly addressed Washington’s National Press Club about her library initiative to donate 150,000 books to the nation’s kids. The philanthropist sported a pair of glasses for the occasion. And she also brightened up the place with a bedazzled outfit that was entirely lime green.

A wild look

The star continued to promote her literary initiative, looking fabulous in the process. When visiting the Magna Science and Adventure Park in South Yorkshire in the U.K, she lit up the stage with a spangly emerald-green dress and possibly one of her wildest bouffants to date.

The famous jumpsuit

Then, in 2014 Dolly was given the honor of performing in the Legends slot at one of the world’s biggest music festivals, Glastonbury. And she sure dressed for the occasion. That’s right: the country singer belted out her hits in front of the crowd sporting nothing other than a rhinestone-clad jumpsuit. One word: iconic.

All-white daisies and diamonds

And Dolly remains just as bold with her fashion choices now that she’s in her 70s. In 2019 she joined goddaughter Miley Cyrus on stage at the Staples Center for a performance at the Grammy Awards. And the star made sure all eyes were on her with a lacy white gown embroidered with daisies and diamonds. Plus, of course, the whole look was completed with her signature giant blonde wig.

One of the few times

While Dolly is clearly very experimental with her clothing choices, there’s one part of her style that’s stayed fairly constant: her hairdo. But have you ever wondered what she looks like without her wig on? Well, in her 2020 book Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics, the star allowed fans to see a pic taken in the recording studio when she was just 19. And it’s one of the few times that Dolly has shown off her natural locks.

It's still voluminous!

You may be surprised to see that her natural hair is still pretty voluminous. It’s why Dolly clarifies in the picture’s caption, “In case you’re wondering, yes, that’s my real hair.” The singer posted the same black and white image on her Instagram account, too.

Comments

The country star captioned the pic, “Where the magic happens.” And the response from fans was overwhelming. “Dolly is beautiful just the way she is,” said one commenter. And another remarked, “Natural beauty is so much better.” Do you agree?

Fans react

“I have wanted to see Dolly’s real hair my entire life,” said one particularly enthusiastic follower. “She is one of the most beautiful people, inside and out, that I have ever seen… I just love Dolly Parton.” Another remarked, “This is my favorite Dolly picture. It shows all of her beauty stripped down to the basics.”

Truth or fiction?

Yet not everyone was convinced that Dolly was telling the truth about the pic. In the comments section underneath an article on the Mirror, one individual said, “Everybody loves Dolly simply because behind all the false stuff, a true talented people loving giant heart beats [sic]. But the real hair story is an absolute lie.” What’s clearly not a lie, though, is Dolly’s love for big hair.

Early inspiration

But why is Dolly so obsessed with volume? Interestingly, the country sensation revealed in her 2020 book that she was inspired by the Frederick’s of Hollywood lingerie chain catalogs she saw as a teen. Dolly said, “I wanted to feel like the way I thought all the movie stars in Hollywood did.”

Iconic pioneer

Dolly goes on to explain how she honed her style during her early appearances on The Porter Wagoner Show. She wrote, “I always wore my hair all teased up. Whenever that style started, I was the first to get my hair all poofy.”

Never-ending upkeep

Initially, Dolly tried to get the big-haired look the natural way. But once success started to come her way, the “I Will Always Love You” hitmaker decided to make things a little easier for herself. Out went the time-consuming hair products, and in came an array of ready-made beehives.

Trademark looks

“As soon as I could buy those hairpieces and wigs, I wanted them,” Dolly explains in Songteller: My Life in Lyrics, “For one thing, they were so handy. Plus, my hair would never do exactly what I wanted it to do. So the wigs became kind of my trademark.”

Not a fan

But not everyone approved of Dolly’s fondness for super-sized hair. Chet Atkins, the singer’s mentor and fellow country star, once told his protégée that she would be better off ditching her now-trademark locks. The Nashville legend believed that Dolly wouldn’t be taken seriously if she didn’t. As you’d expect, his comments didn’t go down too well.

Making people realize

In a 2019 interview with Elle, Dolly revealed exactly how she responded to her mentor. The star recalled telling Atkins, “You know what? I can’t separate the two. This is who I am.” Dolly then further explained, “I not only didn’t tone it down, I figured if my work was truly good enough, people would eventually recognize that.”

Coming from the inside

Dolly added that feeling comfortable in her image was key to her sense of wellbeing. She said, “If I was happy, I could make other people happy. That’s how I’ve always looked at it: that I look totally artificial, but I am totally real, as a writer, as a professional, as a human being. A rhinestone shines just as good as a diamond.”

Love of the flashy

Of course, that doesn’t mean that Dolly walks around her home donning a super-sized wig. In the same Elle interview, the multiple Grammy winner revealed that she’s a little more casual when she’s not in the spotlight. Dolly said, “I don’t always wear [wigs] in my daily life, but I always still pouf up my hair. I still like to have that flashy hair.”

Never a bad hair day

“When I’m around home, I wear my little scrunchies, but I always put on some makeup and fix my own hair as cute as I can fix it,” Dolly said. “Wigs are just so handy. I’m so busy, and I have so many choices. I never have a bad hair day, and that’s a good thing.”

You never know!

Although Parton has revealed what she looks like sans wig, don’t ever expect to see her sans makeup. “You never know if you’re going to wreck the bus, you never know if you’re going to be somewhere in a hotel and there’s going to be a fire,” she told The New York Times in 2019. “So I leave my makeup on at night and clean my face in the morning.”