Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business [Hardcover]

Dolly Parton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1994

The successful country singer reveals her life since leaving home at the age of eighteen to pursue a singing career, while discussing her personal philosophies, her marriage, her friendships, and achievements. 1,000,000 first printing. $600,000 ad/promo. Tour.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Even people who don't know country music from Kaopectate know Dolly Parton, the big-in-front, big-on-top blonde with the perky, little-girl voice who seems sometimes a hick Mae West and sometimes sweeter than Little Mary Sunshine. Given her obvious assets, the tabloid crowd knows her, too, which only increases the appeal of her memoirs. Well, she's more Mary than Mae here, with plenty of vanilla-lite sex-talk and spoofing of her persona ("It costs a lot to make a person look this cheap," etc.) but nary a word about extramarital tumbles or surgical augmentation of her charms. She explains that while she does indeed sleep with longtime friend Judy Ogle, it's not, never was, what suspicious minds think. She praises husband Carl Dean every time she speaks his name, and she doesn't say anything catty about Porter Wagoner, on whose TV show she found fame in the early 1970s and with whom she famously fought. In short, Dolly's so squeaky clean and nice that a reader can't help wondering why HarperCollins wouldn't countenance advance reviews and sent out no early copies. The book contains no secrets to expose, no juice to spill. That doesn't mean it's flat--coming from Dolly, how could it be? It's an entertaining country music rags-to-riches story, full of just enough humor and heart to thoroughly charm the fans. Ray Olson

From the Publisher

The inspiring, tell-it-like-it-is autobiography of one of America's best-loved stars, who tells the rags-to-riches story of her life as only she can -- with honesty, insight and an unfailing sense of humor.

Here, for the first time, Parton talks openly about her life -- both public and private. She reveals how she got to where she is today, her no-nonsense attitude and the down-home philosophy that has helped her from the start. Whether discussing her sense of style, her inability to have children, the music she loves so much, her unique marriage or her friendships with other stars, Parton is amazingly candid, incredibly warm, wise and funny, proving over and over again why she is so loved.

In this refreshing, candid and heartfelt autobiography, Parton reveals the woman behind the superstar, who still considers herself a simple girl from the country. It is a book that millions of readers have been waiting for.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 338 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins; 1st edition (October 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060177209
• ISBN-13: 978-0060177201
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 5.9 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #121,858 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Composers & Musicians > Country & Folk

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A REAL Lady with a heart as big as the Smokies December 13, 1999

By Laurie Anne Paul

Format:Hardcover

I moved here to Pigeon Forge, TN about five years ago. I live five minutes from DollyWood, and Dolly is everywhere here. Her book gave me a chance to find out just why this woman is so beloved in this area. She grew up with no money, in a cash poor rural area,and has never lost sight of her roots. She talks about being a teenager, never being able to get her hair big enough or "yaller" enough, and about dreaming of stardom. I've had the pleasure of attending a live concert, held in her suprisingly intimate Celebrity Theatre at Dollywood, and the woman speaking so candidly in her book, is the same girl giggling and having fun onstage. When I finished it, I just wanted to hug her and tell her that she's done good. She's done amazing things in her hometown,and they appreciate her.

Interesting sidenote, there's a statue of Dolly in the yard outside the courthouse here in Sevier County. Not glamourous,or fancy, it portrays a pretty country girl, in her jeans and man's shirt, playing a guitar and singing. Best picture of Miss Dolly I ever saw:)

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Real Life Country Song November 7, 2003

By Steven Fantina

Format:Hardcover

Five minutes of fame has now become enough to justify penning one's self-serving autobiography. Fortunately, Dolly Parton's 30+year career is suitable for book-length, and she avoids the standard celebrity tell-all fare in favor of interesting vignettes.

Her life is a Cinderella-story that would put any fairy-godmother to shame. Her interesting existence commenced with a delivery paid via a pig since her farming parents were short on cash. From such humble beginnings she went to become one of the richest women in the world. Tantalizing tidbits about her fellow country singers and some Hollywood hotshots pepper the pages, as do tales that illumine life amidst a large Appalachian family. She has often described her brood as "only financially poor" and that positive attitude not only permeates the book, she portrays such a blessed childhood that the allegation rings completely true.

Thankfully avoiding the gory details of typical star bios (think Cybil Shepherd Whoopi Goldberg, etc.), Dolly realizes there are some facts that fans need not know. Her boasted Christianity is practiced with a few question marks, and some facets of her life do appear curious. Still she succeeds in presenting just enough (but never too much) of the private side of her ultra-public persona.

Readers see how she has lived out many of the lyrics of her enumerable self-penned country songs. Upon completion of this autobiography many will return it to their bookshelves softly singing "In My Tennessee Mountain Home."

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Wildly funny! May 5, 2000

By Linda Peters

Format:Hardcover

Ms. Parton writes a story as well as a song. You'd think it was your best friend sitting right next to you telling you her life; with plenty of kindness and humor thrown in.

Even if you're not a country music fan, this book is a wonderfully entertaining and funny account of a womans rise from a cabin with "2 rooms and a path" to wealth, while maintaining the values and beliefs she was raised with.

Her storytelling kept me laughing out loud!