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Dolly Parton has gotten her flowers many times over her illustrious career. She’s won multiple awards, been inducted into several halls of fame, and has sold over 100 million albums worldwide. Her theme park, Dollywood, just celebrated its 40th anniversary, and she has a Broadway musical about her life coming out next year. Now, Dolly can add an exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame to her long list of accomplishments. “Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker” just opened at the HOF in Nashville, where it will remain through September 2026. The exhibit features artifacts, clothing, and pictures from the entirety of her career.
A dream come true: “I think it’s wonderful that I have been able to see my little girl dreams come true,” Parton, 79, told several hundred invited guests during the opening reception at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. She was, of course, talking about her life — packed with groundbreaking accomplishments in every decade —but she might as well have been talking about the exhibit, as well. With artifacts and storytelling, it exquisitely shows how no one has proven more formidable in any of the roles she’s undertaken: songwriter, artist, actor, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist.
Making sacrifices: “It’s a long ways from the top of the Smoky Mountains to the top of the world,” she said during her remarks, “and I’m so grateful because it didn’t come without sacrifice.” She quoted from her 2011 song “The Sacrifice,” set to be part of the score in her upcoming Broadway-bound musical, Hello, I’m Dolly: “Grindstones and rhinestones have made up my life / and you ask, was it worth the sacrifice?”
“Well, I reckon it was, because I’m here tonight!” Parton answered, adding, “and I’m thankful for every person that’s ever helped me.”
She fought for success every step of the way: As the exhibit reveals, Parton continued to defy that word as she faced obstacle after obstacle, even long after she’d achieved stardom. Naysayers arrived at nearly every step: when she decided to end her professional partnership with Porter Wagoner, a bigger star at the time; when she chose to bring pop sounds into her country music; when she set her sights on acting; when she wanted to start her east Tennessee theme park, Dollywood.
What’s on display: A lavish selection of Parton’s sartorial style is on display in the exhibit, all adorning custom-made mannequins — many provided by the entertainer herself — to accommodate her bountiful figure. Among the highlights: the sherbet-orange polyester sheath dress she wore on the cover of her 1967 debut album, the cowgirl outfit she wore in the fantasy sequence in the 1980 hit comedy 9 to 5, and the turquoise fringed suede skirt and lamé top that she wore to be inducted into Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
Other one-of-a-kind artifacts are sure to capture visitors’ attention, including the original pencil-written lyrics to “Jolene”; the portable cassette recorder that Parton used to first record that song and “I Will Always Love You”; and Parton’s personal script for Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
She kept the keys from the car she crashed into RCA’s Studio B: McCall was able to confirm one of the many famous tales told about Parton that have reached mythological height. She did indeed accidentally smash her car into RCA’s now-legendary Studio B when she arrived for her first recording session there in 1967. “Not only that,” says McCall, “but she goes, ‘I still have the keys.'” Hanging from their same key ring, adorned with a leather “Dolly” strap, the set of Chevy station wagon keys is now part of the exhibit. (The wall, which sustained a nick, was soon dubbed “the Great Wall of Dolly” by Atkins, McCall adds.)
This is so cool! I’m really happy for Dolly that she gets to witness her “little girl dreams” come true in the exhibit. I’m also happy for her fans who have the opportunity to see all of this history. Not only is Dolly insanely talented, she’s one of the good ones who have remained unproblematic throughout the years. And those are some really awesome things on display, too. I would love to see the original handwritten lyric sheet of Jolene! That is some amazing music history right there. That story about her still having the keys from crashing her car into RCA’s studio 58 years later is so funny. That is absolutely something that I would keep for the “just in case” factor. Anyway, re-visiting Nashville has been on my list for a few years. Once I get there, I’m going to have to pay a visit to Dolly’s exhibit.
I want a bumper sticker for my car or a decal for my laptop that says, “Be Like Dolly”.
We should all strive to achieve the level of graciousness she has blessed us with.
I hope seeing herself as part of American culture and history brings her joy. It seems so. I love her intentionally cheap style. The drugstore eyeshadow clashing with the roses on her outfit. It’s so deliberate and perfectly executed. I wonder how they manage to make her neck look that smooth…
I am not pro-cloning. But I would be ok cloning Dolly (the person not sheep) 🙂
She is such a national treasure. The world would be so dark without her. And how amazing she has been with such grace. Handling her husband’s death publicly.
Oh! I wish I could he to Nashville before it closes. It would be so amazing to see this in person!!
That display that calls her “A Giver” makes me think she should duet with Chapell Roan on her new country single “The Giver.” Dolly would smash it.
She’s such a true national treasure–I wish her many more years of success and happiness. I know she stepped back a little less than a year ago so she could stay closer to home, and I imagine she’s thinking about her husband when she talks about sacrifices. It’s been such a tough year for her, but she’s handling it all with such grace, as usual. I just hope she really gets time to herself to grieve.
She’s a treasure.