The country star, who married husband Carl Dean aged 20, underwent a partial hysterectomy after an illnesse caused her to pass out on stage. Dolly was 36 at the time and the couple had always assumed they would have children. "Suddenly I was a middle-aged woman.
Dolly Parton explained that not having kids had given her the chance to achieve her dreams as a country superstar and focus more on her legendary career. “Since I had no kids, and my husband was pretty independent, I had freedom,” Parton said.
“It just crushed me and it crushed my mum too, just losing a child.” Dolly was just nine years old when the baby died, and fought back tears as she gave the interview.
Although she and her husband could have chosen to adopt, Parton's career and responsibilities to her younger siblings kept her occupied. Despite not having kids of her own, Parton has a special connection with children, who are drawn to her high-pitched voice and her resemblance to Mother Goose.
Dolly Parton Doesn't Have Children, and She's Fine With That.
12 Priceless Dolly Parton Moments
Country legend Dolly Parton is beloved by listeners of all ages, but despite her large family and her strong bond with kids, she and husband Carl Dean have never had children of their own. And according to Parton, that's the way it was meant to be.
Aside from being two of the most successful singers in the music industry, they also share a familial connection: Parton is Cyrus' godmother.
She suffered from endometriosis, a painful condition that can lead to infertility. By 1984, she underwent a partial hysterectomy to treat her symptoms, a procedure in which the entire uterus and part of the cervix are removed, according to an interview with Closer Weekly.
Dolly Rebecca Parton was born into a large family, the fourth of twelve children, on January 19, 1946, in Locust Ridge, Tennessee. She came from deep in Appalachia, where music was an integral part of life for those who, like the Partons, struggled to make a hard living.
Dolly Parton's gloves may be hiding some scars.
"I have a tendency to have keloid scar tissue, and I have a tendency where, if I have any kind of scars anywhere, then they kind of have a purple tinge that I can never get rid of," Dolly said.
She underwent a hysterectomy, which meant that she would never be able to have children. This was devastating news for Dolly, who had always wanted to become a mother. She fell into a deep depression and even contemplated suicide. Dolly focused her energy on a new business opportunity.
Dolly Parton has said that she turned down Elvis Presley's advances because she was already in love with her then-husband, Carl Dean. She has also said that she didn't want to be known as just another one of Elvis' conquests. Despite Elvis Presley's offer to record “I Will Always Love You,” Dolly Parton turned it down.
That likely caused some people who weren't paying close attention to falsely conclude that Parton herself had passed. We're happy to report Dolly Parton is alive and well and going strong at the age of 77.
Parton says maintaining a certain level of privacy has benefitted her relationship. "I've known how to keep my husband private. It's just natural to me to protect the things and the people I love and to protect my own privacy," she says.
But what often goes unnoticed is the “Jolene” singer's fingerless gloves. Sometimes Dolly's gloves are sheer, and other times they're bedazzled, catching your eye when she waves at the crowd or juggles one of her many awards. But no matter what her gloves look like, the Queen of Country always has a pair on.
But when someone left a baby at the legendary singer's home, she responded in the only way she knew how: She took the abandoned infant under her caring wing until help arrived.
Her parents paid for her birth with a sack of oatmeal.
She's tied with Reese Witherspoon, both of whom have a net worth of $440 million. The two women are on very different trajectories, however. Parton's net worth jumped from $375 million between 2022 and 2023. Witherspoon's net worth remained flat ($420 million to $430 million) in the last year.
Dolly Parton's tattoos have been a topic of conversation for decades. Though the country music legend hasn't offered a glimpse of her collection, she's shared little details about them over the years. Her body art includes butterflies, ribbons, bows, a beehive, and more, all tattooed in pastel ink.
Dolly Parton has loved Billy Ray Cyrus like a brother since they became friends in the 90s. They're so close, in fact, that Dolly is Miley Cyrus' godmother. So, it's important for her to meet the woman who will someday tie the knot with Billy Ray.
Unlike Fox, Dolly Parton grew up in extreme poverty, although she's said she doesn't look back at her childhood through that lens. "I think my childhood made me everything I am today," she said in a 2016 interview with "Entertainment Tonight." "I would trade nothing for being brought up in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Taylor Swift is ranked no. 34 on the list with her global fame and success in the music industry - her net worth is $750 million. Country music star Dolly Parton also made the list at no.59 with a net worth of $440 million.
In addition to her own foundation, Parton has contributed funds to a number of charitable organizations outside the Dollywood umbrella, including the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, Save the Music Foundation and the Boot Campaign, an organization that donates proceeds to military veterans who are dealing ...