Dolly Parton might be the biggest country star alive. But, there was a time when she struggled in the chaotic world of entertainment. Even when she was with her more “chill” contemporaries like Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton allegedly struggled to fit in among the glitz and glamor of celebrities. And this was true years into her status as a country superstar.
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According to Parton’s longtime guitarist Don Roth, she was quite “scared” when she attended celebrity parties. As an introvert, I can definitely sympathize with that.
In the book Dolly by Alanna Nash, Roth was forthright about how hard of a time Parton had in the earlier years of her well-deserved fame. It’s quite understandable, honestly. Parton has always been authentic and honest about her roots. Naturally, being around “big city folk” likely wasn’t the easiest thing to get used to.
“I can tell you one thing, if she seemed snooty, it’s because she was scared,” said Roth. “Because she’s scared of big city people and New York, to begin with. But if there’s one thing Dolly ain’t, it’s snooty. She’s open and funny, until she gets in a situation that she can’t handle, and then she goes into the shell a little bit.”
Dolly Parton Was Often Uncomfortable at Big Parties Thrown by Linda Ronstadt
Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt collaborated on two big albums back in the day. Naturally, the two country stars spent some time together, and Parton was often invited to Ronstadt’s big bashes.
Roth went on to say that Parton had a hard time attending parties that Ronstadt would throw. Tons of big names in the music industry were often there, and Parton allegedly felt like she didn’t fit in. According to Roth, Parton would go to such parties and wanted to “get out of there as soon as possible.”
“Everybody was saying to her for a long time, ‘Isn’t that great?’” said Roth. “‘You’ll go to Linda’s party and meet a Rolling Stone and all these people will be there…’ But she said, ‘I’d really rather not. I like Linda and all, but boy, I’m sure not into her crowd.’”
Parton, for reference, group up in rural Tennessee. She has historically said that she enjoys travelling to big cities like New York or Beverly Hills, but she could never see herself living in such a place exclusively. Still, she ended up buying property in both New York City and Los Angeles, though she would maintain her home in Tennessee regardless.
Photo by Richard E. Aaron/Redferns
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