Dolly Parton’s career challenged country music stereotypes
Dolly Parton’s career combined commercially successful country music with a public image built around wigs, rhinestones and rural storytelling. An account of her 1977 interview with Barbara Walters examines how Parton’s songs, including “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You” and “Coat of Many Colours,” outlasted the stereotypes attached to her appearance and background.
In December 1977, Dolly Parton was interviewed by ABC Television’s Barbara Walters, despite advice from friends. The interview focused partly on Parton’s tour bus, wigs and stage clothes, with Walters questioning the singer’s appearance and whether she felt she was a joke.
Parton also performed “Coat of Many Colours,” a song about rural poverty and homespun wisdom. Her career produced classic songs including “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” which continue to inspire new artists.
THE QUESTIONS THIS EVENT LEAVES BEHIND
How did Parton’s control over her public image affect the stereotypes surrounding her?
What assumptions about country music shaped Walters’ questions in the interview?
Which parts of Parton’s career are absent from this account?
How might later artists have interpreted Parton’s combination of image and songwriting?
YOUR QUESTION
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GLOBAL CURIOSITY MAP · AUGUST 2026