Dolly Parton was 'scolded' due to her clothing choices
Dolly Parton has shared that she was "scolded or whipped" by her grandfather due to her clothing choices.
During a new interview with The Guardian, the country music icon revealed that her grandfather, a preacher, physically disciplined her when she wore clothing that he did not approve of.
"I was willing to pay for it," Dolly told the outlet.
"I'm very sensitive," she continued. "I didn't like being disciplined - it hurt my feelings so bad to be scolded or whipped or whatever. But sometimes there's just that part of you that's willing, if you want something bad enough, to go for it."
Aside from her iconic hits, Dolly, 77, is best known for her quirky, feminine style, which often includes vibrant colours, sparkles, bold makeup and her signature big hair, which she has stated was inspired by the "town tramp".
"She was flamboyant. She had bright red lipstick, long red fingernails. She had high-heeled shoes, little floating plastic goldfish in the heels of them, short skirts, low-cut tops, and I just thought she was beautiful. When people would say, 'She ain't nothing but trash,' I would always say, 'Well, that's what I'm gonna be when I grow up,'" the musician explained.
Dolly added that she also received pushback from record label executives regarding her bold style.
"I've always been true to myself," the Jolene hitmaker said. "That was what my mama always used to say: to thine own self be true. I put a lot of stock in that. Everything I do, whether it's my personality, how I conduct myself and business, or whatever, if I do it my way, according to what I understand and believe, there's a strength in that. You can think, 'I can stand by this, I can live by this.'"
Elsewhere in the interview, the 9 to 5 singer said that her unconventional style made people underestimate her.
"Actually, my look came from a very serious place," she said. "That's how I thought I looked best. Sometimes that's worked for me, sometimes it can work against you. It took me probably years longer to be taken serious, but I wasn't willing to change it, and I figured if I had the talent, it'd show up sooner or later."
Despite the pushback she received, Dolly noted that "she never cared so much" to let it stop her from being her true self.
