This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Cincinnati chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
When you hear the name Dolly Parton, you probably think of her big blonde hair, unique style, country music, or maybe even the Dollywood amusement park. Although all of these may be connected to Dolly, there’s a lot more to Dolly than her famous look and musical career. Dolly is one of the most hard working, authentic and kindest people you could meet. She has been an iconic celebrity for decades and has a personality everyone loves. So what exactly makes Dolly, Dolly Parton? Here are 10 things that I think make Dolly the icon that she is.
List of all things Dolly Parton
- Dolly funded the Imagination Library. Inspired by her illiterate father, her non-profit program has mailed hundreds of millions of free books to children worldwide.
- Dolly helped fund Moderna’s COVID vaccine. In 2020, Dolly donated $1 million to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which helped fund research and development of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, which came out the next year.
- Dolly owns more than 100 wigs. Dolly told Entertainment Tonight, “Once somebody asked me, ‘How many wigs do you have?’ I said, ‘Well, I must have at least 365, because I wear one almost every day.’
- Dolly is an 11-time Guinness World Records holder. Dolly was made a Guinness World Records ICON in the 2026 election because of the 11 Records she holds.
- Dolly met and fell in love with her husband at a laundromat. At age 18 in 1964, Dolly moved to Nashville and met Carl Thomas Dean when he pulled up in his white pickup truck outside of the Wishy Washy Washateria. They started talking, and she stated she felt an “Instant connection with him.” In 1966, they got married privately in Georgia.
- Although Dolly had her own theme park, she has never ridden any of the rides. Dolly stated, “I don’t ride the rides; I never have. I tend to get motion sickness. Also, I’m a little bit of a chicken.”
- One of her most famous songs, “Jolene,” was inspired by a bank teller. Jolene was an inside joke between her and her husband, Carl, about a bank teller who had a crush on her husband.
- Dolly is Miley Cyrus’ honorary godmother. Dolly said she and Billy Ray Cyrus connected because of their country roots, so he asked his longtime friend to be his daughter’s godmother.
- Dolly has tattoos covering up small scars. Dolly said she was sick for a while, and her feeding tube and other procedures she had done left scars that she decided to cover with ribbon, bow, and butterfly tattoos, along with others.
- Dolly was raised with 11 siblings in a small cabin in Tennessee. Dolly grew up with her 6 brothers and 5 sisters, and her mom and dad. She was the 4th child born among her siblings. Dolly also says she has never been ashamed of her upbringing or her family.
Dolly Parton will always be an icon, and her legacy, impact, and influence will forever live on.