In addition to her signature look of big hair, flashy clothes, and a colorful bust, Dolly Parton had numerous tattoos.
The national icon and music legend passed away on Tuesday after a brief battle with cancer. She was 80.
For many years, some speculated that much of her oft-costumed body was covered with tattoos. That wasn’t quite right.
Before her passing, Dolly did discuss her numerous tattoos — and explained the reason that she got them.
‘My tattoos are pretty’
In 2020, Dolly Parton spoke to People about her tattoos — which were, for years, a hot topic for speculation.
“I do have some tattoos, that’s true,” she acknowledged.
“But they’re tasteful,” Dolly clarified. “I’m not a tattoo girl.” She was a hair-and-cleavage girl. Perhaps sequins, as well.
“My tattoos are pretty, they’re artful, and they usually started out to cover some scar, not to make a big statement,” she detailed.
Dolly shared that butterflies, ribbons, and bows were among the motifs decorating her body underneath her famous, larger-than-life costumes.
During that interview, Dolly recalled being “very sick for a while.” So sick, in fact, that she “had to wear a feeding tube” that left a clear mark on her side.
“I didn’t like it because I’m so fair that scars turn purple on me,” she shared relatably.
“I like to make positives out of negatives,” Dolly characterized.
She shared: “I had a little beehive tattooed over it — a little yellow-and-brown beehive with a tiny little bee on top of the hive.”
Referring to the indentation where the feeding tube once entered her body, Dolly detailed: “The mouth of it is that little sinkhole.”
‘He’s tattooed on my heart’
In March of 2025, Dolly Parton lost her beloved husband, Carl Thomas Dean. He was 82.
However, she has never gotten a tattoo of him.
“No, he’s tattooed on my heart,” she confirmed.
“Who knows, I may get some more later,” Dolly acknowledged.
Referring to those who wondered if her entire body was inked under her showy costumes, she joked: “I may just have to get covered with tattoos just so everybody could be right!”
During a 2016 interview with late talk show host Larry King, Dolly again explained that her scarring is a major motive for her tattoos.
“I have a tendency to have keloid scarring, and sometimes they won’t ever lose the purple,” she detailed.
“So I started having pastel little things to disguise things, splattered them here and there,” Dolly recalled.
“But,” she joked, “I wouldn’t be a biker chick or anything.”
Dolly Parton was a national treasure and an absolute legend. We will always love her.