Dolly Parton has revealed her grandfather physically punished her because of the way she dressed.
The 77-year-old singer famously modeled herself on the “vagrant lady” – a local woman who wore high heels and tight skirts – and she admitted her father and grandfather both “hated” her.
The 9 to 5 singer said her grandfather, Reverend Jake Owens, even went so far as to physically admonish her about her choice of clothing and that she was “scolded” and “whipped.”
Speaking to The Guardian newspaper, she said: “I was prepared to pay for it. “I’m very sensitive, I didn’t like being disciplined – it hurt my feelings so much when I was scolded or whipped or whatever always.
“But sometimes if you want something bad enough, there’s just a part of you that’s willing to do it.”
Shocking: Dolly Parton, 77, has revealed her grandfather physically punished her because of the way she dressed (pictured in June)
She continued: “I’ve been doing this for so long, I’ve worn some of the most bizarre things – my hairstyles have always been so outlandish.” When you think you look good, do you then ask yourself, “What did I get?” thought about it?”
Dolly’s iconic outfits included short skirts, low-cut tops and bright lipstick.
The Jolene hitmaker, who has been married to Carl Dean for 57 years, has amassed an empire worth over £400million but has had to work to overcome prejudices about her because she is a woman.
She addressed the sexism in the industry and admitted that she knew how to “maneuver” a crowd of men and could “put a man in his place.”
The singer estimates that she has written around 3,000 songs and sold more than 100 million records worldwide.
She is also co-owner of Dollywood, which includes a theme park and a water park.
In July, the singer said she would rather “drop dead” than retire after six decades in the music industry.
“I would never retire. “I would hopefully one day drop dead on stage in the middle of a song – and hopefully one that I wrote – but that’s how I hope it continues,” she told Ken Bruce in the Greatest Hits Radio.
Then: Dolly famously modeled herself after “the tramp” (pictured at a photo shoot in Los Angeles in 1975). Shocking: Dolly’s grandfather, Reverend Jake Owens, even went so far as to physically reprimand her over her choice of clothing
“I don’t have much choice, but in the meantime I’ll make hay while the sun shines.”
And while the country music sensation is determined to continue performing, she admitted she has cut back on some aspects of her work schedule.
“I’m no longer touring, but I’ll still do special shows every now and then, like on a long weekend or at festivals,” she said.
“But as far as touring goes, I think those days are pretty much behind me… you have to stay on a tour for so long to be productive and successful, and that’s a lot of time at my age – I don’t have years “waste more.”
Dolly’s new album “Rockstar”, her 49th studio album, is scheduled for release in November 2023.
The album will feature 30 songs – nine original Parton tracks and 21 classic rock covers with collaborators such as Elton John, Sting, Pink and more.
Icon: Dolly said of the future: “I would never retire. “I would hopefully one day drop dead on stage in the middle of a song – and hopefully one that I wrote” (pictured in 1977)