Why Dolly Parton was never seen without a wig

The actor and country music legend Dolly Parton succumbed to cancer at the age of 80 on Tuesday, August 25. Her team confirmed that she died at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones. A music icon, she had a career spanning over six decades. Known for timeless hits like Jolene, 9 to 5,and I Will Always Love You, Dolly Parton won 11 Grammys.

However, it wasn't always the music that made headlines over the years, but also her wig and makeup that were important parts of her presence at various occasions. 

How Dolly Parton always looked perfectly styled

Dolly wore her signature wig and makeup for every performance or interview, and curiosity rose among her fans as to how she looked without her makeup and wig.

Unlike most, Dolly had always been open about her wigs and how she loved them. During a 2016 interview on Home & Family, she had explained that she started wearing wigs after her bleached hair broke off. She had shared that she used to tease her natural hair as big as she liked, but the bleaching caused it to break, making her take a decision to switch to wigs to avoid having a bad hair day, ever.

Back in 2003 too, Dolly had joked that she would never step out of the house without her wig and makeup unless her husband had a medical emergency, adding that even her longtime business manager had never seen her without them.

Though in her early days she was spotted in a natural, sandy blonde hair, post she started wearing wigs, she was never photographed without it. She was rather quite private about her look without the wig and makeup. However she revealed in an interview in 2024 that at home, she often goes without a wig and wears her own bleached hair in a simple style.

As per a beauty brand, Dolly chose a big, bouncy blonde wig because she was tired of blow-drying her hair before every show. She even said in her 2021 memoir Songteller that another reason behind having a wig was because she wanted to look like the dream she had imagined for herself. She also wanted to copy the style of gospel and country singers from that time.

Notably, some of her personal items, including her famous wigs, are displayed in the Dolly Suite 1986 immersive tour bus experience at Dollywood's DreamMore Resort & Spa in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

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