Dolly Parton was raised in a shack with 14 children where she could only bathe once a week
Dolly Parton has been revered for decades for her positivity, talent, and giving nature.
It’s no wonder that the 77-year-old superstar actually came from some of the most humble beginnings we have ever heard of…
Dolly Parton is a really down-to-earth celebrity. Everyone knows her for her amazing singing, smart business moves, and her generous heart. Her determination and kindness have helped her achieve great things in music, movies, and TV.
What keeps her grounded is her memories of growing up in a big family, which inspired her to reach for the stars.
Dolly, whose full name is Dolly Rebecca Parton, was born on January 19, 1946. She grew up in a tiny one-bedroom cabin in Sevierville, Tennessee, close to the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains.
Her dad, Robert Lee Parton, worked as a sharecropper and did construction jobs to support his kids. Unfortunately, he never learned to read or write because he didn’t have the chance to go to school.
With 11 brothers and sisters, Dolly faced a lot of challenges, but she was always surrounded by music from a young age.
Avie Lee Owens, who is Parton’s mom, was a performer and taught her daughter how to sing. The family loved to sing together, and Owens shared all kinds of music with her kids, from church songs to old ballads that had been passed down through the years.
Parton’s grandfather, Jake Robert Owens, was a minister and wrote the hymn “Singing His Praise.” Her uncle, Sam Owens, was a musician and songwriter who recognized Dolly’s talent when she was just a kid.
Eventually, Dolly received a guitar from her uncle, and soon after, she began writing her own songs.
“Music was a huge part of our family,” Parton remembered. “All of my mom’s relatives were musical. They could all play some kind of instrument. I took my music really seriously, and I was always playing around on whatever instrument I could find whenever my family visited. But I always had a special love for the guitar.”
Dolly Parton had a big family with many siblings. She had Stella Mae, Cassie Nan, twins Freida Estelle and Rachel Ann, Willadeene, David Wilburn, Coy Denver, Bobby Lee, Robert, and Larry. Sadly, Robert passed away in 2021 after fighting cancer, and Larry died when he was just a baby.
Being the fourth child out of twelve, Dolly often helped her parents take care of the little ones in their tiny house. The whole family lived in one bedroom and one living room, and they didn’t have electricity or running water.
Today, the log cabin where they lived is still there, and Dolly has always talked about her simple beginnings. Growing up this way has made her really understanding of people who are struggling, and it has inspired her to help others through her charitable work.
In a 2016 interview with The Guardian, Parton acknowledged her rural childhood and what it was like to grow up how she did. She said:
Not everything was great, but I like to focus on the good memories.
She thought back to the times she sang at church, played games with her brothers and sisters, and did chores she didn’t really enjoy to lend a hand. She also talked about all the fun and laughter her family had together.
Her siblings would often sing, but the star said they wouldn’t let her be the main singer when she wanted to shine.
Their house was pretty messy, but the love they all had for each other made it all worthwhile for the country music star.
Since their cabin was so small that there wasn’t much space to sleep, let alone play games or cook, the family spent a lot of time outside.
Even with their challenges, Parton explained that her parents would remind them how lucky they were to have a roof over their heads and food to eat. She recalled:
”We were poor but I never felt poor.”
In a Playboy magazine interview with journalist Lawrence Grobel in March 1978, Parton revealed that it was not until she was eight that she saw a toilet and other basic bathroom items at her aunt’s home. She was fascinated by them.
The family didn’t have running water or a real bathroom, so they couldn’t take baths very often. Instead, they made their own soap and would drive to a river close by to clean themselves.
Parton remembered how their homemade soap would wash away in the river and how messy the kids would get. She said they would leave a ring around the Little Pigeon River, comparing their river baths to a “bathtub.”
In the winter, it would get too cold or icy to use the river, and the family would preserve a pan of water to use sparingly. When Grobel asked how many times she and her family would bathe in the winter season, Parton replied:
”Well, we bathed once a week whether we needed it or not, as the saying goes.”
As she grew older, bathing became more important. As a high schools student, Dolly would try to wash up almost every night, noting the behaviors of the younger children. She revealed:
Every night, the kids would end up peeing on me. We all squeezed into the bed, three or four of us at a time. I had to wash up every night. But as soon as I lay down, the kids would wet the bed again, and then I’d have to get up in the morning and start all over again.
Parton didn’t seem grossed out when she shared this story. She said that even though it was messy, it actually brought some extra warmth during the cold winter nights.
Parton has always remembered her childhood, and because of that, she has dedicated herself to helping people who are not as lucky as she is. Every year, she donates millions of dollars, always thinking about her family and how important it is to support others.
Her philanthropy is largely inspired by the love she has for her family. She remarked:
My family is the most important thing in my life. Even though I might forget it sometimes with everything going on, I can feel their presence in everything I do.
In 2022, Forbes estimated Parton’s net worth at $375 million, making her a self-made millionaire. Her theme park, Dollywood, and her ownership over her song rights are largely responsible for this incredible fortune.
She gives a lot of that money to different causes, like helping animals and promoting reading for kids. The celebrity also sings at charity events and does her best to use her fame to support people who need help.
We are amazed by how Dolly Parton was able to keep her faith and remember her humble beginnings as she rose to fame. It’s beautiful how much she has helped the world simply by learning the challenges of poverty at a young age.
Let us know what you think of Dolly’s upbringing in the comments!