Dolly Parton Reveals She Was Whipped By Grandfather Over The Way She Dressed

Images via Flickr / Getty Images
Dolly Parton Is Famously Known For Modeling Her Look After The âTown Trampâ
Dolly Parton recently sat down with The Guardian to talk about many aspects of her career, including her infamous fashion choices. Her style has always been bright, bold, and recognizable, which she says was modeled after the âtown trampâ – a local woman that Parton encountered growing up who wore high heels and tight skirts.
âShe was flamboyant. She had bright red lipstick and 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, âShe ainât nothing but trash,â I would always say, âWell, thatâs what Iâm gonna be when I grow up.ââ

Parton Reveals That Her Grandfather Used to Physically Punish Her Over Her Appearance
In the interview, Parton reveals that her grandfather, a preacher, and her father, a sharecropper, both hated the way she dressed. Her grandfather would even go so far as to physically punish her.Â
âI was willing to pay for it,â she says. âIâm very sensitive, I didnât like being disciplined â it hurt my feelings so bad to be scolded or whipped or whatever. But sometimes thereâs just that part of you thatâs willing, if you want something bad enough, to go for it.âÂ
Parton shared that her song âThe Sacrificeâ on her 2011 album Better Day sums up how she was willing to make sacrifices in order to make a name for herself:Â
âI was gonna be rich no matter how much it cost / And I was going to win no matter how much I lost / Down through the years Iâve kept my eye on the prize / And you ask if itâs worth the sacrifice.â

Dolly Parton Will Release A New Book Later This Month
Dolly Partonâs new book Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones is set to release on October 17, and will celebrate her style and fashion choices over the years. It is available for pre-order now.Â
Featuring behind-the-scenes stories from Dollyâs life and career, and the largest reveal of her private costume archive, this gorgeously photographed book spotlights her most iconic looks from the 1960s to now⦠Along the way, Dolly discusses memorable outfits from her past, from the clothes her mother would sew out of feed sacks (including her âCoat of Many Colorsâ) and the bold dresses and hairdos that shook up Nashville⦠and the daring styles that continue to entertain and inspire today. – via DollyParton.com
Watch Dolly Parton perform the song that was inspired by her Grandfather – “Daddy Was An Old Time Preacher Man” – below.