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You didn't have to love country music to love Dolly Parton. The country music legend who turned big hair, rhinestones, and an unmistakable voice into a global phenomenon has died at 80.
Her death was announced by her family Tuesday, according to People magazine. No cause was immediately disclosed.
Country music may not be the usual soundtrack in Cyprus, but Dolly was one of those stars everyone knew. You may never have bought one of her albums, but you knew “Jolene,” “9 to 5," and “I Will Always Love You," even if you first heard the last one sung by Whitney Houston.
Dolly wrote it herself.
That was often the surprise behind Dolly Parton. People noticed the hair, heels, and curves first, then discovered she was usually the smartest person in the room.
Born into a poor family in rural Tennessee, one of 12 children, she began singing in church and writing songs as a child. She later built an empire spanning music, film, television, theater, and business.
She won 11 Grammys and entered both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her free-book program, the Imagination Library, grew from her home county into an international project distributing more than 2 million books every month.
She was also a quiet force for women. In a male-dominated industry, she wrote her own songs, protected her rights, and controlled her career. “9 to 5” became an anthem for women dealing with low pay, sexist bosses, and little recognition.
Dolly proved a woman could be glamorous, feminine, ambitious, and very good with money, all at the same time.
From Nashville to Steel Magnolias
Dolly was also a natural on the big screen. She made her film debut in the workplace comedy 9 to 5, followed by movies including The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Rhinestone.
But for audiences around the world, and certainly many in Cyprus, her most memorable film was Steel Magnolias.
Dolly played Truvy Jones, the warm, wisecracking owner of the small-town beauty salon where women gathered to have their hair done, share their troubles, and hold one another together.
Alongside Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Daryl Hannah, and Julia Roberts, Dolly helped make the 1989 film a much-loved story about female friendship, family, grief, and resilience.
The mysteries behind Dolly
For someone so open and funny, Dolly knew how to keep people curious.
Her measurements fascinated fans for decades. She usually refused to reveal them, saying her weight changed too often. In 1994, she reportedly gave Vogue the numbers 40-20-36, although whether she was being precise or simply enjoying the joke remains part of the Dolly mystery.
She wore wigs almost every day and joked that she owned at least 365. Her real hair was also blond, but the wigs were quicker and always camera-ready.
Then there were the tattoos hidden beneath her long sleeves. Fans imagined full tattooed arms, but Dolly eventually revealed that they were small pastel butterflies, flowers, bows, and ribbons, often used to cover scars.
Even her famous fingernails had a secret. She clicked her acrylic nails together to create the typewriter-like rhythm heard in “9 to 5.”
Her greatest private achievement was perhaps her marriage. Her husband, Carl Dean, avoided cameras and red carpets throughout their nearly 60 years together. He remained so private that some people joked he was imaginary.
Dolly had the talent, the looks, the business sense, and, most importantly, the humor to make fun of all three.
The world saw the sparkle. Behind it was a woman made of steel.
