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My party of 2 spent $165 to go to one of Dolly Parton's famous dinner shows, and it blew us away

The exterior of the "Hatfield and McCoy" dinner venue in Dollywood.
Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud is a famous dinner show near Dollywood.

Carly Caramanna

  • I attended one of Dolly Parton's famous dinner shows, Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud.
  • My party of two spent $165 on the multicourse, two-hour dining experience.
  • The dinner show was very entertaining, and our meal was delicious, making the price tag worth it.

During a recent visit to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, I checked out Dolly Parton's Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud show.

I'd been to her nearby Dollywood theme park many times while in the area β€” and Parton's other dinner shows β€” but this was my first time visiting this particular venue.

Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud is loosely based on the real-life feuding families from the 19th century. Operating since 2011, the two-hour experience features a live show and multicourse meal housed in an extravagant theater.

Adult seats start at about $60 each, though visitors can pay more for VIP perks. Reservations can be made online, over the phone, or in person at the box office.

I booked two adult tickets in advance for $135. Here's what the dinner show was like.

First, we explored the merchandise shop.
A bag of an at-home mix for the soup served at the "Hatfield and McCoy" dinner feud show next to a bowl with a spoon with the show's logo on it.
I bought an at-home mix and branded soup bowl from the merchandise shop.

Carly Caramanna

Before showtime, we walked around the venue's large merchandise shop. I'd heard about the dinner show's famous soup, so I couldn't resist purchasing an at-home mix and branded soup bowl.

Before heading into the theater, we also passed a bar selling alcoholic beverages, like moonshine cocktails.

The theater's seating setup offered great views all around.
A view of the theater stage with purple lighting and elevated areas with a bridge connecting them.
We could clearly see the stage from our seats.

Carly Caramanna

After we checked in, we were seated in the theater. The seating was stadium-style, meaning you could have a great view of the stage from just about any vantage point.

We were immediately greeted by our server, who offered unlimited Coca-Cola, tea, or coffee, included in the cost of the experience. Dinner was promptly served after.

The first course was the famous soup.
A table with a blue-and-white table cloth with soup served in a pot on a metal platter.
I was impressed by the creamy soup.

Carly Caramanna

I couldn't wait to try the show's famous starter, which is simply called the original creamy soup.

It was deliciously rich and savory without being too heavy.

The Southern-style main course was next.
Metal buckets with several items of food, including fried chicken, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, corn, soup, and bread.
The main course featured large portions of each dish.

Carly Caramanna

The main course was a homestyle Southern meal featuring bread, coleslaw, mashed potatoes, buttered corn on the cob, fried chicken, and pulled pork. I couldn't believe how large the portions were.

Dairy-free, vegan, and gluten-free meals were also available by request.

The fried chicken was my favorite.
Carly holding a piece of fried chicken from her plate.
I also enjoyed the mashed potatoes that came with the fried chicken.

Carly Caramanna

I enjoyed everything but was especially impressed by the fried chicken, which was crisped to perfection with a juicy interior.

It ended up being my favorite of the main course, along with the extra creamy and garlicky mashed potatoes.

The show began after the meal and was extremely entertaining.
A man standing on stage in front of a red barn.
The show was extremely elaborate.

Carly Caramanna

The elaborate stage was impressive, featuring water and fire elements, as well as a 24-foot-deep diving pool.

The show, which featured dozens of talented performers, was engaging and funny. It also had pyrotechnics, stunts, dancing, and live music.

At the time of booking, diners choose which side they'd like to be seated on, either Hatfield or McCoy. So, the audience was split and encouraged to root for their respective side.

Overall, the content felt family-friendly, making it perfect for audience members of any age.

The meal ended with dessert.
A glass jar filled with pudding and whipped cream on a blue-and-white tablecloth.
I was glad the dessert was light after such a heavy meal.

Carly Caramanna

By the time we got to dessert, I was pretty full.

Still, the pudding and whipped cream were refreshingly light, which was perfect after a heavy meal.

I've been to Parton's other dinner shows, but this was my favorite.
Carly taking a selfie in front of a photo of Dolly Parton.
Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud was worth the $165 we spent to see it.

Carly Caramanna

I've dined at Parton's other shows, including Pirates Voyage and Dolly Parton's Stampede, but the Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud show is now my favorite.

From the delicious food β€” especially that fried chicken β€” to the engaging entertainment, I thought it was worth the $165 price tag for two tickets.

I definitely recommend checking it out if you're in Pigeon Forge.

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I tried Dolly Parton's new mac and cheese recipe. It's the perfect Thanksgiving comfort dish.

Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton's mac and cheese is a great Thanksgiving dish.

Jon Morgan/CBS via Getty Images

  • Dolly Parton once told me she's a huge fan of mac and cheese and loves making it at home.
  • Now, she's sharing her Thanksgiving mac and cheese recipe with the world.
  • The dish features three different cheeses, including cheddar and Velveeta.

When I interviewed Dolly Parton for the first time, the country music icon told me she was a huge fan of mac and cheese and loved making it at home.

Now, Parton is finally sharing her recipe with the world thanks to "Good Lookin' Cookin'," the new cookbook she wrote with her sister, Rachel Parton George.

I tested a few of their Thanksgiving dishes, including the holiday potatoes and sweet potato casserole. But it was the mac and cheese I was most excited to try.

Here's how it went.

Dolly Parton's recipe features three different types of cheese.
Dolly Parton with Duncan Hines products
Dolly Parton loves cooking, including mac and cheese.

Sebastian Smith

During our interview, Parton told me she loves adding fried apples to her mac and cheese for a "great taste combination."

She sticks to a more traditional recipe for Thanksgiving mac and cheese but still adds some fun ingredients.

To make Parton's mac and cheese at home, you'll need:

  • 2 Β½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 Β½ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1 (8-ounce) block of Velveeta, cubed
  • 2 cups elbow macaroni
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
  • Β½ cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted, plus more for greasing
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
Before I began cooking the pasta, I prepped all my cheeses.
Shredding cheese for Dolly Parton's mac and cheese
My shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

When I made "Next Level Chef" star Tineke "Tini" Younger's uber-viral mac and cheese recipe (it racked up over 92 million views), she instructed that you should never use pre-shredded cheese.

I have never forgotten that lesson, so I decided to shred both the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses for Dolly's recipe. But if you're in a crunch for time this Thanksgiving, I wouldn't worry too much about using pre-shredded!

I set aside some of each cheese for the topping. Then, I preheated the oven, prepped my pan, and cooked the pasta.
Saving cheese for the topping of Dolly Parton's mac and cheese
My reserved cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses.

Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Per Parton's recipe, I saved ΒΌ cup of shredded cheddar and ΒΌ cup of shredded Monterey Jack for the top of the mac and cheese.

Then, I preheated the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and greased a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan with butter.

I also placed a large saucepan filled with water over medium heat, adding a teaspoon of salt. Parton says to cook the macaroni for two to three minutes less than indicated on the package.

"Don't overcook and don't rinse," she adds. "Drain the macaroni well in a colander, return it to the pot, and add the olive oil. Gently stir to coat so the macaroni doesn't stick together."

While my pasta was cooking, I prepped the sauce.
Making the sauce for Dolly Parton's mac and cheese
Making the sauce for Dolly's mac and cheese.

Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Parton's mac and cheese is extremely quick and easy because you don't need to worry about making a roux on the stove.

I just added the beaten eggs, milk, sour cream, melted butter, and mustard powder to a large bowl and gave everything a good mix.

Then, I added the cheeses.
Making the sauce for Dolly Parton's mac and cheese
Adding the cheese to the sauce.

Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I threw in the cubed Velveeta, as well as the remaining shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, and stirred everything together.

Once the macaroni was ready, I threw the noodles into the sauce.
Adding pasta to the sauce for Dolly Parton's mac and cheese
Adding the noodles to the sauce.

Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I mixed everything together until the macaroni was nicely coated.

Then, I transferred my noodles to the pan, adding the reserved cheddar and Monterey Jack on top.
Adding pasta to the pan for Dolly Parton's mac and cheese
I baked the mac and cheese for 25 minutes.

Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Parton says to bake your mac and cheese for 20 to 25 minutes. You'll know it's ready when "the cheeses are bubbly," she adds.

I let my mac and cheese rest for 15 minutes to help thicken it before serving. The dish was an instant hit.
Dolly Parton's mac and cheese
Everyone loved Dolly's mac and cheese.

Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I served Parton's mac and cheese to my boyfriend and friends as we tested some of her Thanksgiving recipes, and the mac and cheese was the clear favorite.

We all loved the delicious combination of the three cheeses, although my boyfriend thought there was just a tad too much Velveeta. The sour cream also added a lovely tang and satisfying creaminess to the overall taste and texture, and the mac and cheese still tasted just as good the next day when we ate our leftovers.

If you're looking for a delicious mac and cheese to celebrate this Thanksgiving, you can't go wrong with Dolly's.

Read the original article on Business Insider

I made Dolly Parton's holiday mashed potatoes for a delicious and quick Thanksgiving side dish

Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton has some great recipes for your Thanksgiving dinner.

Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

  • I recently tried Dolly Parton's recipe for holiday potatoes.
  • The dish is included in Parton and her sister Rachel's new cookbook, "Good Lookin' Cookin'."
  • Their holiday potatoes include sour cream, cream cheese, and plenty of butter.

If you need a quick and easy side dish for Thanksgiving, don't panic β€” Dolly Parton is here.

The music and fashion icon also happens to be a pro in the kitchen. In September, she released a cookbook full of recipes she loves making with her sister, Rachel Parton George.

When I spotted their recipe for holiday potatoes in "Good Lookin' Cookin': A Year of Meals," I knew I had to try it.

Dolly Parton and her sister give their mashed potatoes a special twist for the holidays.
Dolly Parton and her sister Rachel Parton George
Dolly Parton and her sister Rachel Parton George in 2009.

Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic

"When the holiday season arrives, why not dress up your mashed potatoes! That's what we do," the sisters write in their cookbook. "All it takes is some cream cheese, sour cream, a little garlic, and your mixer!"

To make the Parton sisters' holiday potatoes at home, you'll need:

  • 5 pounds russet potatoes
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, room temperature
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • Β½ cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley for garnish
  • 1 Β½ teaspoons salt
First, I prepped the potatoes.
Peeled and quarted potatoes for Dolly Parton's holiday potatoes
My peeled and quartered potatoes.

Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I washed, peeled, and quartered the potatoes, per Parton's instructions.

Then, I placed the potatoes in a colander and rinsed them under cold water.
Rinsing peeled potatoes for Dolly Parton's holiday potatoes
Rinsing the potatoes.

Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Parton says to wash the potatoes "until the water runs clear." I'm not totally sure why this step was necessary, as the potatoes had already been washed and peeled. The water was immediately clear.

So, unless your potatoes are really dirty, I think you can skip this step!

I threw my potatoes into a large pot and filled it with cold water.
Boiling potatoes for Dolly Parton's holiday potatoes
Boiling the potatoes.

Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Parton says to cover the potatoes by two inches, then add one teaspoon of salt.

I brought the pot to a boil and then lowered the heat to medium. I allowed my potatoes to cook for 20 minutes until they were fork-tender.

I drained the potatoes and placed them in a large bowl so I could add all the seasoning.
Seasoning the potatoes for Dolly Parton's holiday potatoes
Seasoning the potatoes.

Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I threw in the butter, cream cheese, sour cream, Β½ cup of milk, and Β½ teaspoon of salt.

Then, I whipped the potatoes with an electric hand mixer.
Mixing the potatoes for Dolly Parton's holiday potatoes
It took a few minutes to whip the potatoes.

Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I blended the potatoes on medium speed as I mixed everything together.

Then, I added the remaining half cup of milk and mixed the potatoes on high speed until they became fluffy, which took a few minutes.

Parton recommends saving two tablespoons of butter to drizzle on the potatoes, along with parsley and pepper. It was time for dinner!
Dolly Parton's holiday potatoes
Parton's holiday potatoes are super creamy and delicious.

Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I served these holiday potatoes alongside Dolly's recipes for mac and cheese and cornbread stuffing, and it was my favorite dish of the three.

The holiday potatoes are deliciously rich and luscious with the addition of cream cheese and sour cream, while the chopped parsley adds a nice pop of color. They also had a lovely smooth and whipped texture, which paired well with the other Thanksgiving-inspired dishes on the table.

If you're looking for a last-minute addition to your Thanksgiving menu, the Parton sisters' holiday potatoes will definitely impress the whole family.

Read the original article on Business Insider

I made Dolly Parton's sweet potato casserole for Friendsgiving. It disappeared within minutes.

Dolly Parton with Duncan Hines products
Dolly Parton's sweet potato casserole was a hit at my Friendsgiving.

Sebastian Smith

  • Dolly Parton and her sister, Rachel Parton George, released a cookbook called "Good Lookin' Cookin'."
  • It features an entire section with Thanksgiving recipes, including sweet potato casserole.
  • I made the dish for Friendsgiving, and it was an instant hit.

Dolly Parton has always loved whipping up feasts of Southern comfort food for her loved ones, including her longtime husband, Carl Dean, and her goddaughter, Miley Cyrus.

She also loves cooking with her family, even releasing a cookbook with her sister, Rachel Parton George, earlier this year.

Luckily, "Good Lookin' Cookin': A Year of Meals" features a section dedicated to Thanksgiving dishes. When I saw the Parton sisters had their own sweet potato casserole, I knew I had to make it for Friendsgiving.

Here's how it went.

Dolly Parton makes her sweet potato casserole with a nutty twist.
Ingredients for Dolly Parton's Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients for Dolly Parton's sweet potato casserole.

Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

To make Parton and her sister's sweet potato casserole at home, you'll need:

  • 5 large sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 2 cups miniature marshmallows
  • Β½ cup chopped raw pecans
  • Β½ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • Β½ cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature, plus more for greasing
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
First, I preheated the oven and prepped my potatoes and baking pan.
Peeled and quartered potatoes for Dolly Parton's Sweet Potato Casserole
I quartered my sweet potatoes after peeling them.

Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and buttered a 9-inch by 13-inch pan, per Parton's instructions.

I also washed, peeled, and quartered my sweet potatoes.

I placed my sweet potatoes in a large pot and covered them with cold water.
Boiling potatoes for Dolly Parton's Sweet Potato Casserole
I cooked the potatoes for 20 minutes.

Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I brought the pot to a boil over high heat, then lowered the heat to maintain a low boil for 20 minutes while the potatoes cooked.

Parton said you'll know the potatoes are ready when they're "fork tender."

I drained the potatoes, placed them in a large bowl, and added the butter and seasonings.
Adding seasonings to potatoes for Dolly Parton's Sweet Potato Casserole
Seasoning my sweet potatoes.

Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I threw in the brown sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and butter, adding the latter in knobs so it'd be easy to mix.

Then, it was time to mash.
Mashed sweet potatoes for Dolly Parton's Sweet Potato Casserole
My mashed sweet potatoes.

Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Parton recommends using a potato masher to mix the ingredients until they're "well combined," but I don't own one, so I simply used a big wooden fork. It worked like a charm.

I transferred my mashed sweet potatoes to the baking pan, smoothing the top.
Adding marshmallows to potatoes for Dolly Parton's Sweet Potato Casserole
I covered the top of the pan with marshmallows, as Dolly instructed.

Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I sprinkled the pecans before evenly covering the casserole with my miniature marshmallows.

I covered my pan with aluminum foil and threw it in the oven.
Covering Dolly Parton's Sweet Potato Casserole in aluminum foil for baking
My covered pan.

Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Parton says you should bake your sweet potato casserole for 20 minutes.

Once the 20 minutes were up, I removed the foil and baked the sweet potato casserole for five more minutes.
Melted marshmallows on top of Dolly Parton's Sweet Potato Casserole
My sweet potato casserole after 20 minutes in the oven.

Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Parton says your marshmallows should be "golden brown" once the five minutes are up. My marshmallows were still white as snow, so I turned on the broiler and baked the casserole for two additional minutes to give them some color.

I let my sweet potato casserole cool for 15 minutes before serving, per Parton's recommendation. Then, everyone dug in!
Dolly Parton's Sweet Potato Casserole
I would make Dolly Parton's sweet potato casserole again, with one little tweak.

Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I was slightly disappointed when the sweet potato casserole came out of the oven. The marshmallows got a little overcooked by the broiler and now only covered half of the casserole. Next time, I think I'll skip Parton's aluminum foil trick and just let the marshmallows cook uncovered the entire time.

But unphotogenic marshmallows aside, the flavor of this sweet potato casserole was delicious. The crunch of the pecans was a delightful twist, and the combination of the brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon was well-balanced. The texture was satisfyingly creamy, and the dish smelled delicious.

I brought this for a recent Friendsgiving, and the pan was empty within minutes β€” despite having a lot of competition!

So, with one little tweak, I think the Parton sisters' sweet potato casserole will be a hit on your holiday menu.

Read the original article on Business Insider

How Dolly Parton makes and spends her $450 million fortune

Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton.

Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

  • Dolly Parton has an estimated net worth of $450 million, according to Forbes.
  • Her music catalog is worth about $150 million, but her Dollywood theme parks are her biggest asset.
  • She's given over 100 million books to children and donated $1 million toward the Moderna vaccine.

Dolly Parton is one of country music's biggest superstars. She's also a philanthropist who has given away millions to fund children's literacy and public health initiatives.

Parton's many accolades include spots in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Living Legends Medal from the Library of Congress, Kennedy Center Honors, a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy, and 11 Grammys.

With ventures like the Dollywood theme park and a line of Duncan Hines cake mixes, Parton is worth an estimated $450 million, Forbes reported. Here's how she makes and spends her fortune.

Dolly Parton skyrocketed to country superstardom with songs like "Jolene" and "9 to 5."
Dolly Parton
Country music legend Dolly Parton.

NBC / Contributor / Getty Images

Dolly Parton wrote her first song at age 5 and played her first show at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry at 13. She released her debut album, "Hello I'm Dolly," in 1967.

About one third of her fortune comes from her music catalog, which is worth an estimated $150 million, Forbes reported.
Dolly Parton's albums on display in a hallway at the Dollywood DreamMore Resort.
Dolly Parton's albums on display at the Dollywood DreamMore Resort.

Talia Lakritz/Insider

Parton has released over 50 studio albums and achieved 26 No.1 hits on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. She has also lent her songwriting talents to other artists, such as Whitney Houston's megahit "I Will Always Love You."

Parton still owns nearly all of the publishing rights to her music, reportedly earning between $6 million and $8 million in royalties every year.
Dolly Parton 1974
Dolly Parton earns royalties on her music.

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

When her contract with Combine Music expired in 1966, PartonΒ founded her own publishing company with her uncle and then-manager Bill Owens, according to her official website.

This has allowed her to maintain the publishing rights to almost all of her music and receive a publishing fee anytime one of her songs is played on the radio or used in film or TV, Forbes reported in 2021.

Dollywood, her theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, is her biggest financial asset.
The entrance sign to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Dollywood.

George Rose/Getty Images

In 1986, Parton partnered with the existing Silver Dollar City theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, to remodel and rebrand it as Dollywood. She grew up less than 10 miles away, in Sevierville, Tennessee.

"I always thought that if I made it big or got successful at what I had started out to do, that I wanted to come back to my part of the country and do something great, something that would bring a lot of jobs into this area," Parton told the Associated Press in 2010. "Sure enough, I was lucky, and God was good to me and things happened good. We started the park and 25 years later, we're still at it."

The park spans 160 acres in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Parton's 50% stake in the theme park is worth about $165 million, Forbes estimated in 2021.
A view of Dollywood from a bridge
Dollywood.

Talia Lakritz/Insider

Dollywood remains the top tourist attraction in Tennessee with around 3 million visitors each year, according to CBS affiliate WVLT. A one-day adult ticket costs $92.

Her shares in Dollywood's Splash Country water park are worth an estimated $20 million.
Dollywood's Splash Country water park.
Dollywood's Splash Country.

Dollywood

Opened in 2001, the 35-acre water park is located next to Dollywood. It operates seasonally, from May to September.

Parton also co-owns the DreamMore Resort and Spa with a stake worth $15 million.
Outside the Dollywood DreamMore Resort. A guitar-shaped statue with butterflies in the foreground, the white hotel building in the background
The Dollywood DreamMore Resort.

Talia Lakritz/Insider

The 20-acre hotel features a shuttle to and from Dollywood and pieces of Dolly Parton memorabilia.

A chestnut "Dream Box"Β displayed in a glass case on the hotel's lower level contains a recording of "My Place In History," a song Parton wrote to be released on her 100th birthday in 2046.

Her lines of housewares, Duncan Hines cake mixes, and "Doggy Parton" pet apparel provide additional revenue streams.
A box of Dolly Parton cake mix at Food Lion.
Dolly Parton cake mix.

Talia Lakritz/Insider

Parton's colorful collection of cookware and home decor is available at stores like Kohl's and JCPenney.

Her "Doggy Parton" pet gear, including bandanas, wigs, and toys, is available on Amazon, and a portion of sales support Willa B. Farms animal rescue.

After releasing two Duncan Hines cake mixes in 2022, the singer expanded the line to include mixes for corn bread, brownies, and biscuits along with her coconut- and banana-pudding cakes.

Parton purchased the Brentwood, Tennessee, home she shares with husband Carl Dean for $400,000 in 1999.
Dolly Parton's home in Brentwood, Tennessee.
Dolly Parton's estate in Brentwood, Tennessee.

Google Maps

The grounds of the 3,324-square-foot home include a tennis court, swimming pool, garden, and barns for livestock, the Daily Express reported.

In an interview published in the 2017 book "Dolly on Dolly," Parton said that she and Dean would take pictures of Southern mansions in Mississippi on their annual anniversary trip and note features they wanted to incorporate into their eventual dream home.

"I knew that house before it was built and I built it long before we could afford it 'cause I knew we'd be able to β€” someday," she wrote, according to an excerpt published in The New York Post. "I scouted all over Tennessee for a piece of land with hills in front and a stream around it. It's got a bitty bridge, and I made sure it's just narrow enough so's no tour bus can git over it. Carl and me can walk around stark naked there and nobody'd see. We have chickens and cows and a vegetable garden. It's a quiet, homey place for me and the special people in my life."

It's a far cry from her roots: Parton grew up in a two-room log cabinΒ with her parents and 11 siblings inΒ Sevierville. The cabin had no electricity or running water, but Parton remembered her years there fondly in her 1973 songΒ "My Tennessee Mountain Home."

Dollywood features a replica of her childhood home built by her brother, Bobby, and furnished by her mother, Avie Lee.

While she wears elaborate bedazzled outfits for public appearances and performing onstage, Parton is more frugal when it comes to her everyday clothes.
Dolly Parton in three looks: Green ensemble with flowers, blue and crystal adorned dress, orange and crystal tassel jumpsuit.
Dolly Parton fashion in 1978, 1989, and 2014.

Ron Galella/Getty Images; Rick Diamond/Getty Images

In a 2020 appearance on the Scandinavian talk show "Skavlan," Parton said she buys most of her clothes off the rack and doesn't splurge on designer items.

"I really like to earn money, but I love to spend it, too. But I spend it on things that I feel like that's needed," she said. "I'm not the kind of person that will go out and spend like three or four thousand dollars on a coat or one outfit."

She added that the steep price tags on expensive items make her think of her parents, who "could have fed a family of 12 on what I would pay for a coat."Β 

Parton is renowned for her generous charity work through The Dollywood Foundation, which she founded in 1988.
Dolly Parton performs at a concert to benefit Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
Dolly Parton at a benefit concert.

Rick Diamond/Getty Images

"I just give from my heart," she said in a speech while accepting the Carnegie Medal of PhilanthropyΒ in 2022. "I never know what I'm going to do or why I'm gonna do it. I just see a need and if I can fill it, then I will."

She gives away around 2 million books to children each month through the foundation's Imagination Library.
Dolly Parton gives books to children through her Imagination Library
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in action.

Yui Mok - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images

Parton founded her Imagination Library in 1995, inspired by her father's struggles with literacy. The nonprofit sends free books to children from birth through age 5 each month.

"This actually started because my father could not read and write and I saw how crippling that could be," she told the Associated Press in 2022. "My dad was a very smart man. And I often wondered what he could have done had he been able to read and write."

She continues to invest in her hometown, funding a new medical center and scholarships for students in her old high school.
The parking lot at LeConte Medical Center in Sevierville, Tennessee
LeConte Medical Center.

Talia Lakritz/Insider

LeConte Medical CenterΒ opened in 2010 with the help of Parton's philanthropy and fundraising. She also funded its Dolly Parton Center for Women's Services and Dolly Parton Birthing Unit.

The Dollywood Foundation offers $15,000 scholarships to five high school seniors in Sevier County, Tennessee, and covers college tuition and books for its theme-park employees, CBS News reported.

Her $1 million gift to Vanderbilt University in 2020 proved integral to the development of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine.
Dolly Parton receives the COVID vaccine.
Dolly Parton received the COVID-19 vaccine she helped fund.

DollyParton/Twitter

A report in theΒ New England Journal of Medicine on the development of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine acknowledged the Dolly Parton COVID-19 Research Fund among supporters of the research.

Parton qualified to get the vaccine she helped fund in Tennessee in early February 2021, but she said she wanted to wait "until some more people" got theirs.

"I don't want it to look like I'm jumping the line just because I donated money," she told the Associated Press.Β "I'm very funny about that."

In a video of her getting the vaccine in March 2021, Parton sang a rendition of her hit song "Jolene," changing the lyrics to sing "vaccine, vaccine," and encouraged everyone to go get vaccinated as soon as possible.

In October, Parton donated a total of $2 million toward Hurricane Helene relief.
Dolly Parton performs at a concert.
Dolly Parton onstage at a variety special.

Jon Morgan/CBS via Getty Images

Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm on September 26, flooding neighborhoods and leaving over 1 million homes and businesses without power.

At an October 4 press conference in Newport, Tennessee, Parton announced that she planned to donate $1 million from her personal fortune to help those impacted by Hurricane Helene and an additional $1 million through her businesses such as Dollywood and Dolly Parton's Stampede.

"I can't stand to see anyone hurting, so I wanted to do what I could to help after these terrible floods," she said.

She continued, "I hope we can all be a little bit of light in the world for our friends, our neighbors β€” even strangers β€” during this dark time they are experiencing."

Read the original article on Business Insider

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