25 Dolly Parton Quotes on Kindness, Dreams, and Staying True to Yourself
Dolly Rebecca Parton (1946–) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, and philanthropist who is one of the most honored female country performers of all time, with 25 number-one singles and over 100 million records sold worldwide. Growing up as the fourth of twelve children in a one-room cabin in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, she has become one of the most beloved figures in American culture. Few know that Parton's Imagination Library program has donated over 200 million books to children worldwide, that she quietly donated $1 million to help fund the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, or that she turned down the Presidential Medal of Freedom twice.
In 1973, Parton made the bravest decision of her career: she left "The Porter Wagoner Show," where she was a beloved co-star, to pursue a solo career. Wagoner sued her for breach of contract. In response, Parton wrote "I Will Always Love You" as a farewell to their partnership — a song so beautiful that Wagoner wept when he heard it and dropped the lawsuit. The song became a hit twice for Parton and then again in 1992 when Whitney Houston's version became one of the best-selling singles of all time. When asked about her famously glamorous appearance, Parton quipped, "It costs a lot of money to look this cheap." But beneath the wigs and rhinestones lies one of the sharpest business minds and most generous hearts in entertainment — her belief that "if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain" comes from a woman who turned poverty into inspiration and fame into philanthropy.
On Dreams and Determination
Dolly Parton's determination was forged in the Smoky Mountains of Sevier County, Tennessee, where she was born the fourth of twelve children in a one-room cabin without electricity or running water in 1946. By age ten she was performing on local television and radio, and the day after her 1964 high school graduation she boarded a bus to Nashville with her belongings in a paper bag. Her early songwriting partnership with Porter Wagoner brought national exposure, and her 1973 hit "Jolene" — written about a red-haired bank teller who flirted with her husband Carl Dean — became one of the most recorded country songs in history. Parton's business acumen was as sharp as her songwriting — she built the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in 1986, creating the largest employer in Sevier County. Her journey from Appalachian poverty to a net worth exceeding half a billion dollars is the embodiment of the road she paved for herself.
"If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another one."
Interview with Oprah Winfrey
"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."
Attributed
"I'm not going to limit myself just because people won't accept the fact that I can do something else."
Interview with Rolling Stone
"We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails."
Attributed
"I had to get rich to sing like I was poor again."
Interview about her career journey
"Storms make trees take deeper roots. I've had plenty of storms, and my roots are deep."
Attributed
On Being Yourself
Parton's larger-than-life appearance — the towering blonde wigs, rhinestone-studded outfits, and acrylic nails — has always been a deliberate and joyful act of self-creation. She famously jokes that it costs a lot of money to look this cheap, but behind the glamour is a woman of extraordinary authenticity and intelligence. Her 1977 crossover hit "Here You Come Again" reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and proved that country artists could dominate pop charts without abandoning their roots. The 1980 film "9 to 5," in which she starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, produced an Oscar-nominated title song that became a feminist workplace anthem. Parton has always understood that her exaggerated appearance is armor and invitation simultaneously — it disarms critics, entertains audiences, and allows the woman beneath to remain intensely private while being the most public of figures.
"Find out who you are and do it on purpose."
Attributed
"It costs a lot of money to look this cheap."
Attributed, on her signature look
"I'm not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm not dumb. And I also know that I'm not blonde."
Interview with Larry King
"I look just like the girls next door... if you happen to live next door to an amusement park."
Attributed
"I've always wanted to be somebody, but I see now I should have been more specific."
Attributed
"Above everything else I've done, I've always said I have more guts than I've got talent."
Interview with NPR
On Kindness and Giving
Parton's generosity is legendary and deeply rooted in her own experience of growing up poor. Her Imagination Library, launched in 1995, has mailed over two hundred million free books to children around the world, making it one of the most successful literacy programs in history. In 2020, she donated one million dollars to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to fund research that contributed to the development of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. She has quietly donated to countless causes without seeking publicity, once remarking that she'd rather be known for giving than for singing. Her annual Smoky Mountain Christmas concert at Dollywood raises funds for children's charities, and her My People Fund provided one thousand dollars per month to families displaced by the devastating 2016 Great Smoky Mountains wildfires. Parton proves daily that kindness is not weakness — it is the most powerful force a person can wield.
"If you see someone without a smile, give them yours."
Attributed
"My songs are the door to every dream I've ever had and every success I've ever achieved."
Interview with CBS Sunday Morning
"I think people want to hear songs about the truth of life. They want something that touches their heart."
Interview with The New York Times
"When I got enough money that I could help others, that's when I really felt rich."
Interview about the Imagination Library
"I try to spread the love. That's what the world needs. It doesn't need more hate or division."
Interview with People Magazine
On Music and Creativity
Parton has written over five thousand songs across her career, making her one of the most prolific songwriters in any genre. Her most famous composition, "I Will Always Love You," written in 1973 as a farewell to Porter Wagoner, reached number one on the country charts twice — first in 1974 and again in 1982 — before Whitney Houston's 1992 cover turned it into a global pop phenomenon that sold over twenty million copies. Parton wisely retained the publishing rights to the song, earning an estimated ten million dollars from Houston's version alone. Her songwriting process is deeply personal — she composes on an assortment of instruments including guitar, banjo, dulcimer, and autoharp, often writing at dawn before the rest of the world wakes up. At nearly eighty years old, she continues to record and perform, releasing her first rock album "Rockstar" in 2023 featuring collaborations with Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks, and Rob Halford.
"I write songs to express myself. Some people jog, some people knit. I write songs."
Interview with Songwriter Magazine
"You'll never do a whole lot unless you're brave enough to try."
Attributed
"Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living. But you know what? You've got to do what you love."
Reflecting on her iconic song
"I wake up with new dreams every day. And I intend to make every single one of them come true."
Interview with Entertainment Weekly
Key Achievements and Episodes
From a One-Room Cabin in the Smokies to Country Music Royalty
Dolly Rebecca Parton was born the fourth of twelve children in a one-room cabin in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, in the Great Smoky Mountains. Her family was so poor that the doctor who delivered her was paid with a sack of cornmeal. She made her first guitar from a broken mandolin and two extra strings, and she was performing on local radio by age 10. The day after she graduated from Sevier County High School in 1964, she moved to Nashville. Within three years, she had joined Porter Wagoner's television show and launched her solo recording career with "Dumb Blonde," her first charting single, in 1967.
Turning Down Elvis and Writing Two Hits in One Day
In 1973, Dolly Parton wrote "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You" on the same day. "I Will Always Love You" was written about her professional split from Porter Wagoner, and when Elvis Presley wanted to record the song, his manager Colonel Tom Parker demanded that Parton sign over half the publishing rights. Parton refused, one of the boldest business decisions in Nashville history. Her gamble paid off spectacularly in 1992, when Whitney Houston's version of the song became one of the best-selling singles of all time, earning Parton millions in royalties. Parton once joked that she cried when she heard Houston's version — "because I knew I'd make a lot of money."
The Imagination Library: 200 Million Free Books for Children
In 1995, Dolly Parton founded the Imagination Library, a book-gifting program inspired by her father's inability to read and write. The program mails one free book per month to registered children from birth to age five, regardless of family income. Starting in her home county of Sevier, Tennessee, the program has expanded to five countries and has distributed over 200 million free books. In 2022, Parton was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — she initially declined the nomination, saying she hadn't earned it, but accepted after being told the decision was final. She donated $100 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for pediatric disease research.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dolly Parton Quotes
What did Dolly Parton say about staying true to yourself?
Dolly Parton built a career around radical authenticity combined with deliberate artifice, famously quipping it costs a lot of money to look this cheap. Born in a one-room cabin in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, in 1946, the fourth of twelve children, she refused to tone down her wigs and rhinestones for critics, arguing her look was freely chosen self-expression. Her philosophy holds that being true to yourself means owning all aspects of your identity — including contradictions — rather than performing respectability for others.
How has Dolly Parton contributed to literacy and education?
Parton's Imagination Library, founded in 1995, has distributed over 200 million free books to children from birth to age five. Initially serving her home county in Tennessee where her own father was illiterate, it expanded to all fifty US states and several countries. Each enrolled child receives one age-appropriate book monthly regardless of family income. Research by Vanderbilt University showed participating children demonstrate significantly higher reading readiness. She also donated one million dollars for COVID-19 vaccine research in 2020, helping fund the Moderna vaccine.
What are Dolly Parton's most famous quotes about hard work and dreams?
Parton's philosophy on hard work is rooted in her Appalachian upbringing. She walked to Nashville the day after her 1964 high school graduation, determined to make it with no money or connections. Her early years were marked by struggle before Porter Wagoner gave her a spot on his show in 1967. Her seemingly overnight fame with "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You" in 1973-1974 came after nearly a decade of grinding work. Her business empire including Dollywood reflects her belief that women can be both feminine and formidable.
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