Dolly Parton through the decades
Six decades and change of reminders that film and TV cameras were just as susceptible to the Queen Of Country's charms as the rest of us.
By Erik Adams, Drew Gillis, Jacob Oller, Monica Castillo, Jarrod Jones, Dennis Perkins, Lacy Baugher Milas, and Danette Chavez Clockwise from top left: Dolly Parton in 2014 (Photo: Ian Gavan/Getty Images); The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (Screenshot); Steel Magnolias (Image: TriStar Pictures); The Beverly Hillbillies (Screenshot)
When Dolly Parton died earlier today, it not only deprived American society of one of the last unqualified things we could all basically agree on—i.e., “Dolly Parton is fantastic.” It also put a capstone on a life and career that could be viewed as a narrative of the entire past eight decades of American entertainment life. Because while Parton’s contributions to the world of music are both massive and obvious, her appeal went far beyond either her songwriting talent or her legendary singing voice: Screens in both the 20th and 21st centuries loved Dolly, from her first appearances on TV in the 1960s, through those made well into the 2020s. Blending beauty queen good looks with natural humility and a sense of humor that was sharp and self-effacing, but never unkind, Parton spent the entirety of her adult life as a fixture on TV, in film, and most especially on the late-night talk circuit, where Dolly could never be mistaken for anybody but Dolly. And so we offer up this look at Dolly through the ages: Six decades and change of reminders that film and TV cameras were just as susceptible to the Queen Of Country’s charms as the rest of us.
1960s: Regional sensation
Debuting on The Porter Wagoner Show (1967)
From an early age, Parton was a fixture on local radio and TV; she appeared on the Grand Ole Opry for the first time in 1959, a 13-year-old singer receiving an on-air introduction from no less than Johnny Cash. But it was the endorsement of a different country legend that would put her in front of a national audience on a regular basis: On September 7, 1967, Parton appeared on The Porter Wagoner Show to perform her first charting single, the cheeky Curly Putman tune “Dumb Blonde,” and fill the role of departing co-star Norma Jean Beasley. “I looked a long time and thought of many, many folks that we all liked and thought that you would like,” Wagoner told his audience of his show’s new cast member. And though that audience was initially resistant to the change—and had no problem voicing it during tapings—the vocal chemistry between Wagoner and Parton would prove undeniable. As would Parton’s magnetic screen presence, which could still be glimpsed through whatever nerves she may have been feeling in that initial 1967 appearance. [Erik Adams]
1970s: Breakout talent
Introducing “Jolene” (1973)
Though it’d be a few years before her solo records started selling anywhere near as well as her duets with Wagoner, Parton’s time on The Porter Wagoner Show coincided with the release of several landmark singles, “Joshua” and “Coat Of Many Colors” among them. And near the end of her run on the show, she’d debut the biggest of them all. “I think this is possibly the most different tune, sort of a different sound of any of the songs you’ve ever written,” Wagoner tells Parton in a clip from 1973. She concurs: “Well, it is kind of different—it kind of makes you think of an old folk song that’s got kind of a heavier, up-to-date beat.” The song, as Wagoner says before exiting the frame, is “Jolene,” and the rising star that was due to take Parton out of Wagoner’s orbit (though not before her decision to leave inspired “I Will Always Love You”) is apparent from the second that familiar fingerpicked guitar lick kicks in. [EA]
Serenading Johnny Carson (1979)
Her profile on the rise and boosted by the immense crossover success of 1977’s Here You Come Again and its title track, Parton became a more familiar face on a wider variety of programs, her quick wit and ability to give as good as she got making her an especially in-demand talk-show guest. In one memorable Tonight Show appearance, she’d foreshadow Bette Midler’s eventual musical farewell to host Johnny Carson with a bespoke tune all her own. “I’m here about as much as you are,” Parton told the not-exactly-vacation-averse Carson before collapsing with laughter and grabbing a guitar from behind the couch. What followed is classic self-deprecating Dolly (“I have dreamed of stardom since I was just a kid / A million dollar dream beneath this $13 wig”), attributing her “overnight” success to the late-night staple she’d prefer to call by its star’s name: “I went from pop beads to diamonds, from car coats to fur / From K-Mart to Guccis, from here no tellin’ where / From Hillbilly Heaven to a penthouse on the coast / But I never really made it till The Johnny Carson Show.” [EA]
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