Dolly Parton once left fans stunned when she revealed what her real hair looked like

When it comes to celebrity style icons, Dolly Parton was loved for being bold and glam, especially when it came to her signature hair.

Rhinestones, heels, and, of course, the singer's famously enormous blonde hair have all become part of her instantly recognizable look. But while her hair has always looked perfectly coiffed, there’s a secret behind her iconic 'do that some admirers may not have known... Parton was a big fan of wigs.

This is why fans were so in awe when she posted a stunning throwback image in 2018 of herself in the recording studio making music.

The pic showed Parton’s perfectly teased hair and many rediscovered the post following the sad news of her death this week aged 80.

“You are a beautiful woman with or without wigs,” one fan gushed.

“Love her hair,” said another fan.

In fact, the country music legend was wearing wigs for decades and it wasn’t a secret.

Parton often joked about the time and effort that goes into maintaining her famous hair. One of her most memorable quotes on the subject perfectly summed up her attitude as she told The Irish Times in 2002: “People always ask me how long it takes to do my hair. I don't know, I'm never there.”

And during a 2016 appearance on Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family, Parton opened up about exactly why she decided to embrace wigs.

“I used to try to keep my own hair teased as big as I like it, and having the bleach and all of that, it just broke off,” she said. “I thought, ‘Why am I going through all that? Why don’t I just wear wigs? That way, I never have a bad hair day! I have a big hair day, but not a bad hair day.”

Parton also explained her approach to the bigger-is-better philosophy behind her signature style, joking about her famously voluminous look during the same Home & Family appearance.

“Well, the higher the hair, as they say…” she quipped. “But actually, I like the curls. I like the different ones. Gospel singers and country singers just have to have that big hair. It’s just a thing.”

Her love of faux hair dates back to shortly after she moved to Nashville to pursue her music career. In her 2021 memoir, Dolly Parton, Songteller, she explained that her appearance was closely tied to the vision she had for herself and the star she wanted to become.

“Because I wanted to look like the dream I carried in my head,” she said.

Parton was also inspired by the glamorous looks of gospel singers and country performers from that era, helping shape the larger-than-life aesthetic that would eventually become synonymous with her.

But the wigs aren’t just reserved for the stage. And it’s important to remember that sometimes getting dressed up and glam isn’t about hiding anything or ‘needing’ makeup or wigs, it’s about the sheer joy of it.

Parton was never afraid to go all out and in a 2020 Good Housekeeping cover story, she confirmed that she continued to wear wigs daily, while occasionally letting her natural hair grow out when she wasn’t working or traveling.

“I let it get long enough to braid sometimes just for fun. But never for stage. My wigs are my armor,” the singer said.

And if Parton taught us anything about beauty, it’s that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with having a bold signature look, especially when it involves a little extra volume up top. Her wigs became just as much a part of her persona as the rhinestones, her discography and all her charity work.

A timeline of Dolly Parton's charity work

The country singer has been fondly remembered for her generosity and how much she gave back to local communities across the United States, as well as contributing to education, welfare and animal rights. Here's a list of everything she did to help others:

The Dollywood Foundation

In 1988, Parton originally launched the organization in her home county of Sevier County, Tennessee, with the goal of decreasing high school drop out rates. She then launched the Buddy Program, which saw Parton give every seventh and eighth grader who finished high school $500.

According to the organization, the initiative was successful and the dropout rate declined from 35 percent to just 6 percent.

Eagle Mountain Sanctuary at Dollywood

In 1991, the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee partnered with the American Eagle Foundation (AEF) to open a 30,000-square-foot aviary that sheltered the largest collection of 'non-releasable' bald eagles.

This partnership 'helped introduce millions of Dollywood guests to America’s national symbol and to the importance of protecting bald eagles and other birds of prey', according to the AEF's website.

Imagination Library

In 1995, the Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library was founded and inspired by Parton’s father, who was unable to read. It began sending one book per month to each enrolled child in Sevier County from birth until their first year of school.

In 2025, it was announced that the Imagination Library gifted more than 40.3 million books, bringing the program’s total books gifted since its launch to more than 304.5 million.

The Dolly Parton Scholarship

According to the Dollywood Foundation, the scholarship - an annual award granting $15,000 each to five high school seniors in Sevier County, Tennessee - is awarded to those who 'have a dream they wish to pursue and who can successfully communicate their plan and commitment to realize their dreams'.

My People Fund

After previously working hard to aid wildfire relief in Tennessee in 2016, Parton launched the My People Fund, which provided $1,000 a month for six months to families whose homes were completely destroyed by the fires.

The fund also donated around $8.9 million to those in need.

$1 million donation to a children’s hospital

In 2017, Parton made the staggering donation to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in honor of her niece, who was treated for leukemia at that hospital.

She made another $1 million donation to the same hospital in 2022, this time aiming to help pediatric infectious disease research.

Covid-19 vaccine donation efforts

Parton donated $1 million to coronavirus research at Vanderbilt University, which helped fund Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.

Tennessee flooding relief

$700,000 was raised by Parton and her Smoky Mountain businesses in 2021 to help residents impacted by the catastrophic flooding in Middle Tennessee.

Dollywood education coverage

In 2022, the Dollywood Co. announced that it will cover 100% of tuition, fees and books for any employee who is furthering their education.

The program is available to all seasonal, part-time and full-time employees at Dollywood Parks & Resorts.

$1 million donation to the Salvation Army

In late 2023, the singer donated another generous $1 million to the Salvation Army, with the money going towards food and grocery programs in the US.

$2 million donation toward Hurricane Helene relief

Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in 2024, which affected areas across Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, Parton donated $1 million from her own funds for the Mountain Way’s Foundation, which provides assistance to flood victims.

Her East Tennessee businesses and the Dollywood Foundation also pledged an additional $1 million.