Dolly Parton's Net Worth Pays More Than "Workin' 9 to 5"
I only have one younger brother, and he dislikes me intensely. It is OK, I deserve it. If I was lucky enough to have a sister, I would want her to be Dolly Parton because Dolly is so country lovable, you just want to hug her. I would help her manage her wealth and I would not steal anything, I promise. That is why my brother dislikes me, so I learned that lesson already.
Hey, we all can fall off the turnip truck once in a while. Forgiveness is goodness. Dolly Parton is pure goodness, like that happy glow you get from eating a nice piece of pecan pie.
Dolly Parton’s net worth is estimated at $650 million in 2024. She worked very hard to amass such wealth and is still working in her seventies.
Dolly Parton’s Net Worth Increased As a Pop Star And a Movie Star
Not satisfied with being stuck in the country music charts, Dolly crossed over to the larger audience for pop music with her breakout hit, the song called Jolene. After proving that her appeal was mainstream, she jumped into acting in the 1980s. Dolly had unforgettable and charming appearances in 9 to 5 and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and many appearances on television in live shows at the Grand Ole Opry. That is when Dolly became the full package of singer, comedian, and actor with her larger-than-life style.
Dollywood Increased Dolly Parton’s Net Worth Substantially
Dollywood theme park in the city of Pigeon Forge. Dollywood is a major tourist attraction in Tennessee.
In 1986, Dolly parlayed her success as an entertainer to open the Dollywood amusement park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, which is still operating to this day (except when it temporarily closed due to the pandemic). Dolly is a co-owner with the Herschend Family Entertainment Enterprises. Currently, Travel + Leisure says Dollywood is open again.
Guests at this popular park sometimes get the thrill of experiencing an unannounced appearance of Dolly herself. Dolly genuinely loves her fans and enjoys spending time with them. People who meet her in person adore her even more. She has such a wonderful self-deprecating sense of humor. She says hilarious things like “It costs a lot of money to look this cheap.”
Dolly embraces it all, her poverty as a child, her simple roots in the Smokey Mountains, the stardom, the glamour, and even the ridicule over her makeup and plastic surgeries. She does not take herself so seriously, while at the same time she takes her career and fans very seriously. It is this kind of warm charm that makes everyone love Dolly. And her adorable personality is the real deal. Just ask anyone who works with her.
Dolly Parton’s Net Worth In Real Estate
Dolly Parton’s home base is in Brentwood, Tennessee, which is an up-scale suburb of Nashville. Dolly bought the 3,324 square foot house for $400,000 in 1999. The high-security home is never photographed on the interior.
It is where she keeps her long-time husband of more than 50 years, Carl Dean, locked in a cage (that’s a joke!). There is supposedly an underground bunker that holds a collection of thousands of dresses that Dolly Parton has worn and many she has yet to wear. That is part is true.
Glamour On the Road
Dolly Parton’s tour bur “Gypsy Wagon”.
In normal times, Dolly spends most of her life touring. She has a luxury tour bus that she used to call home, which is nicknamed the “Gypsy Wagon.” It was custom-built in 1994 and cost $750,000. After many years of use, it was retired in 2009. It is now is on public display in the Dollywood amusement park.
Her upgraded Dolly I touring bus, which she got in 2010, cost $2.7 million. It has closets for her glamorous dresses, plenty of room for her wig collection, and even a sunken bathtub. There is a Dolly II touring bus that is used to tour Europe and a Dolly III for touring Asia and Australia.
Years past, Dolly’s former manager, Don Warden, was also her bus driver. Dolly called him “Mr. Everything.” He died in 2017. Her new manager, Danny Nozell, took over management duties in 2004 but does not drive the busses.
When globally touring, Dolly flies in a private jet. One of her busses waits for her when she arrives. She never stays in hotels. She always has all the comforts of home with her in her busses. This is how in her seventies, she is still able to continue to comfortably go on tour.
The Second Rise Of the Super Star
At the turn of the new millennium, in 2000, Parton’s career was slowing down. Her audience numbers shrunk to an average of 2,000 in houses that held up to 18,000 people. Most would have called it quits, as a fitting end to a magnificent run for a career. After all, she has 25 gold and platinum albums, 25 number one songs, and over 100 million albums sold globally. Was it time to pack it in? Not for Dolly.
Dolly Parton’s performance at the Glastonbury Festival in Scotland (2014).
She found a career boost with the help of her new manager Danny Nozell of CTK management. The two made a master plan in 2005 that included Dolly playing in front of larger audiences. In 2014, she performed in front of 150,000 people at the Glastonbury Festival in Scotland, where she wooed the massive audience with her down-home American country charm. Dolly was terrified that the younger crowd might not like her. However, they loved her!
Nozell saw his hard work pay off and Dolly is now more popular than ever. Parton was headlining sold-out shows at major venues and arenas of 50,000 seats before touring went on pause due to the pandemic. Once the pandemic threat subsides, there is no reason to stop her from picking up where she left off.
Whitney And Dolly Parton’s Net Worth
One of my favorite pieces of trivia is that when Whitney Houston recorded a cover of the Dolly Parton song I Will Always Love You Dolly received more than $10 million in royalties for being the songwriter.
It is fun to compare the two versions of Dolly’s song on YouTube.
To be honest, I like Whitney’s version a lot more than Dolly’s However, on the same night that Dolly wrote I Will Always Love You, Dolly also wrote the song entitled Jolene. Nobody but Dolly can sing that song with such female power. It is a song about a woman who tried to steal Dolly’s husband. The woman lost.
I just love the lyrics from Jolene. I challenge you to read the lyrics and not want to sing along.
That woman worked in a bank where Dolly had an account. Dolly said, “She tried to take care of my husband while I was on tour, if you know what I mean.” Well, Jolene did not succeed. Dolly has been happily married for over 50 years to the same man, Carl Dean.
Carl stays completely out of the limelight and is happily waiting for her to come back home to be just the simple Dolly Parton Dean. They live together in their relatively modest home in Tennessee. He adores his wife and fully accepts the need to share the wonderful Dolly with all of her millions of fans.
Elvis Presley did Not Help Dolly Parton’s Net Worth
Whitney Houston was not the first famous singer to want the song I Will Always Love You. The king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley, wanted to cover the song too. However, Colonel Parker, who was the manager of Elvis, demanded half the song’s writing credit and royalties to have Elvis cover the song.
In those days, it was a common tactic for white guys in the music business to steal stuff from black people and women. However, Elvis was so popular that when he covered a song, even half the royalties were an amazing amount of money.
At the time, in 1973, Dolly Parton’s career was just getting going and Elvis was the most popular singer in the world. Nevertheless, Dolly turned down the offer. Her friends thought she was crazy to do that. It took two decades to prove Dolly’s decision was the best one. In that one agreement with Elvis, she could have given away over $5 million (as half of the royalties), which Dolly earned when Whitney Houston covered the song in 1992.
Dolly Parton’s Net Worth Comes from Following Her Heart
In that decision about Elvis singing her song, like all of her business decisions, Dolly said she followed her heart. Over the years, Dolly collaborated with many artists including Brad Paisley, Willie Nelson, Julio Inglesias, and even Queen Latifah. She always gave them credit for their collaborative work. Elvis did not write that song with Dolly, and it was outrageous for Col. Parker to think she would go along with pretending that he did.
Woman Power
Dolly’s refusal to give Elvis half-credit for writing her song was a sign that Ms. Parton was a feminine force to be reckoned with. She grew up “dirt poor” and knows the value of a dollar. Her self-made empire is where Dolly Parton’s net worth comes from. She did not amass such wealth by being pushed around by some greedy men in the music business.
Duets with Porter Wagoner
The rest of the story about the song I Will Always Love You is about Porter Wagoner. She teamed up with Wagoner in Nashville as a supporting star of The Porter Wagoner Show. They sang duets together that were country music hits. Still, Dolly wanted more.
When she began expressing her own talents, this caused tension between her and Wagoner. Perhaps, there was even a bit of jealousy as Dolly got increased attention. They ended the creative partnership. This feeling was the sentiment behind the song I Will Always Love You that she wrote about Wagner.
Is Dolly Parton a Lesbian?
Dolly is the best friend of Judy Ogle. The two have been close friends for more than 60 years, since they were kids. Rumors abound that the two have a secret, lesbian love affair. At this suggestion, Dolly laughs. Dolly has been called a country drag queen, which she takes as a compliment, but she is not lesbian.
Dolly has been happily married to Carl Dean for more than 50 years. Dolly loves her best friend Judy. They have been best friends since third grade! However, she is not, “in love” with her in a romantic, sexual way so, get over it!
Conclusion
Dolly says of her work ethic that she is a horse with blinders on and does not have any intention of stopping performing any time soon. I am looking forward to seeing her live performances again. In the meantime, I am watching the recordings of those she did in the past. My favorite is Dolly Parton is Alive and Well. I hope she lives forever. Barring that, there is a place reserved for her in heaven.