Dolly Parton doesn’t need much, if any, introduction.
She’s a country music legend, a talented and successful actress, a philanthropist,
and a wonderful person.
She has managed to live a life full of incredible accomplishments, all while staying humble
and true to herself.
Of course, if you’ve seen a photo of Dolly lately, it’s probably one from her more
recent years.
And she still looks as gorgeous as ever.
That’s why it’s fun to go back and take a look at Dolly when she was in her younger
years, so you can trace her from her days as an adorable kid, all the way to her modern
look.
In this video, we’re taking a look at Dolly through the years, as we get a peek at what
the country superstar looked like in her formative years and beyond.
So, stick around, as Facts Verse presents: Dolly Parton's Teenage Photos Leave Little
to the Imagination!
Dolly at age 5 in 1951 Let’s start with this incredible shot of
Parton and her family from 1951.
Parton was five years old at the time.
We can assume this was likely taken either in Pittman Center, Tennessee, where Dolly
was born or near her family’s farm in Locust Ridge.
The family moved to the Locust Ridge area when Dolly was a young girl.
Dolly was the fourth of 10 kids, and in this photo, it seems clear that there are at least
3 kids younger than her.
So, unless those were kids from another family, it’s safe to say that at this point, Dolly
had 2 other siblings not pictured.
And since this was LONG before the days of digital cameras where you could take a bunch
and not worry about whether one was blurry, (or you could use digital tech to un-blurry
photos) the photo we have here is not exactly a great one.
At least, it’s not a great shot of her family.
Dolly, however, is a lot more in focus than anyone else in the shot.
Which is perhaps a fitting representation of what a star she’d become.
And it’s also fun to note that she always knew how to find the camera lens!
Dolly at Age 9 in 1955 This photo is a lot more in focus, and it’s
a solo shot of Dolly at nine years old.
It’s clearly a posed portrait photo of Miss Parton, clad in a fun vertical striped shirt,
a charm bracelet of some kind, and an adorable grin.
She also has quite a short haircut, something we don’t really associate with the country
legend.
But, of course, kids often have all sorts of wild and adventurous haircuts, so we can’t
blame her for not having found her signature look quite yet.
We aren’t sure if this was a photo taken for school, for a different organization,
or simply one for the home.
But what we do know is that she looks cute as a button.
And you can already see the adorable smile that the world will soon know quite well!
Dolly At Age 14 in 1960 We can see from this photo of Parton at age
14 that she was still enjoying her time with a short haircut.
But it’s fun to see the transition from a young girl to an early teenager.
She has already begun to look a lot more like the adult version of Dolly that we all know
and love.
Dolly went to Sevier County High School, and this shot of her in a V-neck top and a necklace
with a heart-shaped pendant was likely a portrait for school.
Dolly At Age 19 in 1965 This is perhaps the first photo of her in
this set where you can very clearly the grown-up Dolly.
And would you look at that hair?
It seems that at some point between the ages of 14 and 19, Dolly found her love for big
and luxurious hairstyles.
Here, she looks as if she has enough hairspray in there to hold it up for a year.
And her smile is one of confidence, yet warmth.
Dolly has always exuded charm and class to go along with her radiance and beauty, and
you can clearly see all of that in this gentle smile.
The photo was taken in Nashville, though we don’t know too much more about it than that.
Dolly at Age 21 in 1967 Dolly had a big breakthrough when she started
performing and recording with her long-time collaborator, Porter Wagoner.
And while the two eventually had a falling out after Dolly decided to go solo, their
early years were ones of happy music-making.
This photo of them performing live on The Porter Wagoner Show is from 1967, back when
the two were happily making music together.
And while it’s a black and white photo, we can only assume that Dolly’s dress was
one of vibrant colors!
Dolly at Age 22 in 1968 Here’s another one of Dolly and Porter.
It was taken in Nashville, potentially backstage, or in a recording studio.
Dolly’s hair is still in her now trademark look…
high and hairspray.
She has thick hoop earrings on, complemented by a delicate necklace.
The two of them seem to be in full concentration mode, focused on something off-camera.
Or it’s possible they were posing for a publicity photo, trying for a more edgy and
serious look.
Dolly in the late 1960s Holy transformation, Batman!
This is a look that we don’t ever really see from Dolly.
But, perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that in the late 1960’s, Dolly tried out
more of a young hippie look.
In this shot taken sometime later in the decade, in an unknown location, Dolly let her hair
down, and had it draped loosely over her shoulders.
She has a funky purple headband on, with some rather large dangly earrings.
She is also clad in a thick chain necklace with a long pendant.
Of course, while some people in hippie culture were donning no makeup for a more natural
look, Dolly clearly is channeling her classic face full of glamorous makeup.
Her serious look is another odd thing to see, as we most often see her radiant smile.
It’s possible this was her look at the time, but if you also told us this was for a costume
party, we’d totally believe you.
Dolly at age 24 in 1970 Ok, with this photo, we’re really starting
to see the Dolly we all know.
As a 24-year-old, it seems she had finally settled into her classic country music star
look, complete with gorgeous and curly blond locks, plenty of makeup, and a glowing smile.
It looks as if she has a tiger on her shirt or some other type of cat.
Dolly at age 24 in 1970 Here’s another shot from 1970, showing Dolly’s
signature look beginning to really take hold.
And because this one is in vibrant color, you can really see the dramatic look of her
bleach blond hair, contrasting with her rich red top.
She has on another heart-shaped pendant, big hoop earrings, and a radiant and confident
smile.
It finally feels in this photo like Dolly has found the basics of the look that made
her so recognizable in the decades to come.
Dolly at age 26 in 1972 While this shot, taken two years later, is
back to black and white, it’s safe to assume that Dolly’s hair is still bleach blond,
and her makeup is just as intense.
Her hair is a lot longer here, and has her trademark curls as well.
And you can see from her outfit that she has begun embracing rhinestones, a popular choice
for her later on.
Dolly at age 28 in 1974 Ok, so at this point we can clearly see that
Dolly has found herself when it comes to her classic look.
This is another black-and-white photo, so we don’t know what color her dress actually
was.
But what we can see is all the elegant and fantastic detail on the outfit.
That includes an embroidered butterfly on the arm, as well as her first name embroidered
on the leg.
This is a sign that Dolly was already in the era where she was something of a brand.
She has long been a performer for whom only one name is really needed.
And while she never went the full way, a la Cher, any mention of the one name “Dolly”
will likely make people think of Dolly Parton.
Dolly at age 29 in 1974 This is a great shot showing how Dolly was
able to remain a country girl while still embracing the glitz and glamour of being a
full-on celebrity star.
She has on a classic ‘country’ outfit, yet she manages to look like a million bucks
in it.
Her classic blond curly locks are covered by a cowboy hat, yet they still fall out of
the hat enough to see how big and full they are.
And of course, Dolly’s tight-fitting shirt can’t help but reveal her ample bosom, another
trademark she became known for.
And while Dolly was never one to try to make her bosom a defining characteristic for her,
she also knew how to accentuate it in ways that were both alluring and classy.
Her wry smile in this pic shows her playfulness and charm.
It’s wild that we did a whole video about Dolly without going into all her incredible
music, accomplishments, and more.
And yet, it felt right to just take a look at this remarkable and legendary performer
in her younger days, to trace her growth and see where she came from!
Now it’s time to hear from you.
What photo was most surprising to see?
Which was your favorite?
When do you think Dolly really found her signature style?