Dolly Parton recorded more than 1,000 songs, but she also gave fans hundreds of iconic quotes about life, love and work.
The legendary country singer’s death was confirmed Tuesday in an Instagram video posted by her cousin Bryan Seaver, sparking an outpouring of grief among A-listers and her millions of fans worldwide.
And Dolly’s loyal following soon began sharing her many pearls of wisdom in their many tributes.
The singer, actress and philanthropist, 80, was known for her fierce humor and during her six decades in the spotlight she offered timeless gems on everything from the importance of “good lighting, good doctors and good makeup” to how to progress in your career – “I never tried to give up, and I never stopped trying.”
Here are some of her most enduring and iconic quotes.
On her appearance
‘It costs a lot of money to look so cheap’
‘People always ask me how long it takes to do my hair. I don’t know, I’m never there.’
Dolly Parton recorded more than 1,000 songs, but also gave her fans hundreds of iconic quotes about life, love and work
“I’m not offended by all these stupid blonde jokes because I know I’m not stupid – and I’m not blonde either.”
‘I describe my look as a mix of Mother Goose, Cinderella and the local whore!’
‘People say how do you keep looking so young? I say: good light, good doctors and good make-up.’
‘A lot of people have said that I probably would have done better in my career if I hadn’t looked so cheap and flashy. But I dress in a way that’s comfortable for me, and you can’t be blamed for wanting to look nice.”
‘Those people who wake up and are just beautiful are just born that way. Well, I’m not. I have to work for everything I have.’
“I have pretty good skin, considering my age, and I think a lot of it is mineral oil and bacon fat.”
“I’m not like a real person. I like being artificial. I think there’s a bit of magic in the fact that I’m so real, but at the same time I look so artificial.’
“I’m a self-made woman, and I have the medical bills to prove it.”
About love and relationships
“I often get myself into love trouble because I’m so passionate; I love so much and so deeply.’
“Every relationship is like a house with an upper floor: it has two floors.”
‘Love is like a butterfly: as soft and friendly as a feather, multi-colored and full of cheerfulness.’
‘I believe that everyone should be with who they love. I don’t want to be controversial or cause a lot of trouble, but people are going to love who they’re going to love. I think gay couples should be allowed to get married. They should suffer just like us heterosexuals.”
“My weaknesses have always been food and men – in that order.”
Speaking about her husband Carl Dean: ‘It was love at first sight. I see people turning my head all the time. It’s just that no one has turned my head around like he has.”
The singer, actress and philanthropist was known for her fierce humor. Pictured with Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonds in Nine to Five
About her career
“My songs are like my children: I expect them to support me when I’m old.”
“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”
“Don’t worry so much about making money that you forget about making a living.”
“I never tried to give up, and I never stopped trying.”
“Above all that I have done, I have always said that I have had more courage than talent.”
“I think my music was almost like my ministry in a way. Hopefully it’s healing in some ways, just having a good sense of humor to cheer people up, to have songs that people can relate to.”
‘I’m not going to limit myself just because people don’t accept that I can do something different.’
‘I always say I dreamed myself into a corner. I have to keep all those dreams alive. Every dream leads to something else.’
“You’ll never do much unless you’re brave enough to try.”
The legendary country singer’s death was confirmed Tuesday in an Instagram video posted by her cousin Bryan Seave, sparking an outpouring of grief and love.
About the secret of happiness
“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you have to put up with the rain.”
‘You have to work at it to be happy. Some people try to be miserable. When I wake up in the morning and I’m not feeling great or things aren’t great, I try to think about what I can do to make things work better, instead of just falling into that deep hole, because then you just go deeper and deeper.”
“If you see someone without a smile today, give them yours.”
‘If you’re feeling down, don’t despair. The sun sets every night, but rises again every morning.’
‘They think I’m simple-minded because I seem happy. Why wouldn’t I be happy? I have everything I ever wanted and more. Maybe I’m simple-minded. Maybe that’s the key: simple.’
She offered timeless gems on everything from the importance of “good lighting, good doctors and good makeup” to how to progress in your career – “Never give up and never stop trying.”
About her legacy
‘I hope that many of my songs can last that long. And I hope I’ll be remembered as someone who tried to do some good in the world and left some good things behind.”
“I’ll be like Bob Hope, going on tour when I’m 100. I like to keep busy…I will never retire. I hope to drop dead in the middle of some great event or song that I sing. Then they’ll say, ‘Oh well, she’s become happy and done what she loves.’
‘When I write, I feel that I am closest to God. A great phrase will just come to me, and I’ll say, ‘Hey, thank you, Lord. I know I didn’t think of that.’ Ultimately, I hope I’ll be remembered as a good songwriter. The songs are my legacy.”
