The Boomer REport - Music Fun Facts

Dolly Parton - 10 Fun Facts

  1. She wrote “Coat of Many Colors” on a dry-cleaning receipt – While touring in the early 1970s, she had an idea for the song but no paper, so she grabbed the nearest thing: a receipt from her hotel room floor.
  2. She turned down Elvis Presley – When Elvis wanted to record “I Will Always Love You,” his manager insisted Elvis get half the publishing rights. Dolly refused—retaining the rights and later earning millions when Whitney Houston recorded it.
  3. She entered a Dolly Parton lookalike contest and lost – Disguised in exaggerated makeup and drag queen glam, Dolly once entered a contest in Los Angeles and didn’t come close to winning.
  4. She never rides her Dollywood roller coasters – Despite owning the theme park, Dolly has a fear of roller coasters and fast rides. She also avoids flying and prefers traveling by bus.
  5. She’s written over 3,000 songs – Including Jolene and I Will Always Love You, which she wrote on the same day in 1973.
  6. She partially funded Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine – In 2020, Dolly donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which helped develop the Moderna vaccine.
  7. She’s never taken a drink or done drugs recreationally – Despite growing up in a hard-living environment and writing about many of those themes, Dolly herself has always avoided drugs and alcohol.
  8. She wakes up at 3 a.m. every day – Dolly does her best writing and thinking in the quiet early hours of the morning, usually starting her day around 3:00 a.m.
  9. She’s a secret philanthropist – Beyond her famous Imagination Library (which mails free books to kids), Dolly quietly gives scholarships, disaster relief, and community grants, sometimes anonymously.
  10. She helped produce “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” – Through her production company, Sandollar Entertainment, Dolly was one of the behind-the-scenes forces on the Buffy TV series.