{"id":4134,"date":"2026-08-29T16:53:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T16:53:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thejoeroganpod.com\/?p=4134"},"modified":"2026-08-29T16:53:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T16:53:12","slug":"dolly-parton-was-punished-for-the-one-thing-she-wanted-most-as-a-child-years-later-she-revealed-the-price-she-paid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thejoeroganpod.com\/?p=4134","title":{"rendered":"Dolly Parton was punished for the one thing she wanted most as a child \u2013 years later, she revealed the price she paid"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dolly Parton\u2019s death has sent shockwaves around the world, and fans are now mourning the legendary country music icon, who will be remembered as a true star. But behind her massive fame and success was a series of hardships that she managed to overcome and turn into something beautiful throughout her life.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"newsner-352983056\" class=\"newsner-after_first_paragraph\">\n<div id=\"intext_198912_1_wrapper\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dolly Parton\u00a0was known as a humble celebrity. The singer-songwriter achieved enormous success with her music, of course, but she was also a businesswoman who worked hard in philanthropy. Her drive and kindness led her to great success in music, film and television.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And most likely, it was the reminder of her humble beginnings and her big family that helped motivate her to become the star she turned out to be.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dolly, born Dolly Rebecca Parton, was born on January 19, 1946. The family\u2019s one-bedroom cabin was located in Sevierville, Tennessee, on Locust Ridge near the Great Smoky Mountains. Her father, Robert Lee Parton, was a sharecropper who also supplemented his income with construction work to provide for his children. He never learned how to read or write.<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsner-217dc9da90051619334e722f84dbb725\" class=\"newsner-217dc9da90051619334e722f84dbb725 newsner-incide_content_once\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She had 11 siblings, and from the beginning, Dolly was certainly faced with challenges. Money was a challenge for the family, and Dolly has described their home as somewhat chaotic, but filled with love and music.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-dolly-parton-s-childhood\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dolly Parton\u2019s childhood<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The family had to make use of the outdoors quite often since the cabin they lived in barely had enough room for all of them to sleep, much less play games or cook. However, her parents made sure to remind them of how lucky they were to have a roof over their heads and food to eat.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201dWe were poor but I never felt poor,\u201d Dolly said in an interview with\u00a0The Guardian\u00a0in 2016.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201dMy family will always be my greatest love. Sometimes it gets lost in the shuffle, but there\u2019s an element of family in everything I do.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsner-148710946\" class=\"newsner-article_inside_content\">\n<div id=\"intext_198912_2_wrapper\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsner-5503478ea09d6baebc99a8531b2e5952\" class=\"newsner-5503478ea09d6baebc99a8531b2e5952 newsner-amp_article_inside_content\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a March 1978 interview with Playboy magazine, Parton explained that it wasn\u2019t until she was eight years old that she saw a toilet and other basic bathroom items at her aunt\u2019s home. Her family, not having running water, couldn\u2019t even bathe as often. They made homemade soap and washed in a nearby river. During the winter, they would use a pan of water sparingly to be able to bathe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201dWell, we bathed once a week whether we needed it or not, as the saying goes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As she got older, however, bathing became more important.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201dThe kids peed on me every night. We slept three and four in the bed. I would wash every night. And as soon as I go to bed, the kids would wet on me, and I\u2019d have to get up in the morning and do the same thing,\u201d she recalled.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-always-loved-fashion\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Always loved fashion<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From a young age, Parton had a strong interest in fashion. Today, she\u2019s known for her unique style and memorable fashion statements. As a young girl, she described how she took inspiration from a local woman called the \u201ctown tramp.\u201d Whenever Dolly was out on the town, she\u2019d hope to see her.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cShe was flamboyant, she had bright red lipstick, long red fingernails. She had high-heeled shoes, little floating plastic goldfish in the heels of them, short skirts, low-cut tops, and I just thought she was beautiful. When people would say, \u2018She ain\u2019t nothing but trash,\u2019 I would always say, \u2018Well, that\u2019s what I\u2019m gonna be when I grow up,\u2019\u201d Dolly Parton told The Guardian.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But back then, her interest in fashion also came with consequences. Both her father and her grandfather disapproved, and tragically, her grandfather physically abused her.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI was willing to pay for it,\u201d Dolly Parton revealed. \u201cI\u2019m very sensitive, I didn\u2019t like being disciplined \u2013 it hurt my feelings so bad to be scolded or whipped or whatever. But sometimes there\u2019s just that part of you that\u2019s willing, if you want something bad enough, to go for it.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsner-1195617411\" class=\"newsner-article_inside_content\">\n<div id=\"intext_198912_3_wrapper\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsner-5e40a945313703b708863789c0fcf957\" class=\"newsner-5e40a945313703b708863789c0fcf957 newsner-amp_article_inside_content\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many years later, in 2011, Parton drew on that experience for the song \u201cThe Sacrifice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cit kind of sums it up,\u201d she said. It says, \u2018I was gonna be rich no matter how much it cost \/ And I was going to win no matter how much I lost \/ Down through the years I\u2019ve kept my eye on the prize \/ And you ask if it\u2019s worth the sacrifice.\u2019 I think it is, for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-music-was-important-from-a-young-age\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Music was important from a young age<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But no matter what challenges she might have faced, she always had one thing she loved: music.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Avie Lee Owens, Parton\u2019s mother, was a performer, and she\u2019s the one who taught her how to sing. The family often sang together, and when Dolly received a guitar from her uncle, she started writing her own songs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMusic was such a large part of our whole family,\u201d Parton recalled. \u201cAll of my mama\u2019s people were musical. They all played some musical instrument. Of course, I took my music real serious, and I was always plucking along on somebody\u2019s instrument \u2013 whatever they would leave lying around or whenever my family would come. But I always loved the guitar.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rest is, as they say, history. She went on to build a decades-long career, becoming one of the most recognizable and beloved stars in the world.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-found-love-and-married-carl-dean\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Found love and married Carl Dean<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1964, when Dolly was 18 year old, she met the man who would become the love of her. Their first meeting took place outside of a laundromat in Nashville. Carl Dean was 21 years old, and it was definitely love at first sight.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMy first thought was, \u2018I\u2019m gonna marry that girl,\u2019\u201d Carl once recalled. \u201cMy second thought was, \u2018Lord she\u2019s good lookin\u2019.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsner-773227935\" class=\"newsner-article_inside_content\">\n<div id=\"intext_198912_4_wrapper\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsner-1e6d19562d1524ba3ddae00d34a0ff5a\" class=\"newsner-1e6d19562d1524ba3ddae00d34a0ff5a newsner-amp_article_inside_content\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He later added: \u201cThat was the day my life began. I wouldn\u2019t trade the last 50 years for nothing on this earth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was the beginning of a love story that would last for decades. The couple got married in May 1966, in Ringgold, Georgia. They kept the ceremony small, and their marriage would go on to become one of country music\u2019s most enduring love stories. They stayed by each others side all the way until the end, when Carl Dean died in 2025 at the age of 82.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After his death, Dolly Parton released a heartfelt statement, saying: \u201cCarl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can\u2019t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-i-just-give-from-my-heart\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u201cI just give from my heart\u201d<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But besides music and acting, she also founded Dollywood, a theme park in Tennessee, and established several charitable initiatives, including her Imagination Library, which provides free books to children worldwide. She was widely celebrated for her philanthropy, particularly in education and health care.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Her decades of charitable work earned Parton the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in 2022. Giving back had always been important to her, and her philanthropy was largely inspired by the love she had for her family.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m just so proud to have been a part of anything that\u2019s good and that\u2019s making life a little better for people,\u201d she told \u201cGMA\u201d in 2021.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI just give from my heart,\u201d she said in a 2022 speech accepting the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, according\u00a0to AP.\u00a0\u201cI never know what I\u2019m going to do or why I\u2019m gonna do it. I just see a need and if I can fill it, then I will.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She created a global literacy program, funded scholarships, helped support medical research and contributed to disaster relief and community relief programs.<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsner-388842592\" class=\"newsner-article_inside_content\">\n<div id=\"intext_198912_5_wrapper\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsner-ccf768bde1f1d7ed3139cfdb5bf332b4\" class=\"newsner-ccf768bde1f1d7ed3139cfdb5bf332b4 newsner-amp_article_inside_content\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When she announced her $1 million donation to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to support pediatric infectious disease research, she said: \u201cI love children,\u201d in a statement announcing the donation. \u201cNo child should ever have to suffer, and I\u2019m willing to do my part to try and keep as many of them as I can as healthy and safe as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-dolly-parton-dies-at-80\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dolly Parton dies at 80<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When news of her death was confirmed on August 25, by her nephew, Bryan Seaver, on Instagram, the world truly lost a star, an inspiration and a person who changed the lives of many.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He started off saying: \u201cMy name is Brin Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I\u2019m representing the Parton and Owens family today announcing the passing of my aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean, Sister, Sis and Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Seaver continued: \u201cThis video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality. As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven\u2019t truly felt it til now.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Her team later confirmed in a statement to\u00a0PEOPLE\u00a0that her death came after a \u201cbrief battle with cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-her-last-interview\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Her last interview<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A few days before hers death,\u00a0PEOPLE\u00a0published what will likely be her final interview.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAs I\u2019ve shared in video messages throughout the past year, I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn\u2019t pay attention to when I was watching over [my husband] Carl. You know, this isn\u2019t the first time I\u2019ve had to manage something like this. Back in the early \u201980s, I was down for several months with female issues, and I was struggling with my weight at the time too, so it\u2019s not like I haven\u2019t been through hard times with my health,\u201d Parton told PEOPLE.<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsner-409105068\" class=\"newsner-article_inside_content\">\n<div id=\"intext_198912_6_wrapper\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsner-d3936c1ab95d8fc420372adac2e6917d\" class=\"newsner-d3936c1ab95d8fc420372adac2e6917d newsner-amp_article_inside_content\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She went on: \u201cBut I think because we live in a 24\/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn\u2019t years ago. I used to joke that I was the Queen of the Tabloids, but now I guess I can say I\u2019m the Queen of Social Media AI!\u2019 Seriously, though, even though I\u2019m still healin\u2019, I\u2019m still workin\u2019! You know me \u2013 as I\u2019ve often said \u2013 I\u2019ve dreamed myself into a corner and I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I\u2019m gonna keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-i-will-always-love-her-and-want-to-make-her-proud\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u201cI will always love her and want to make her proud\u201d<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After her death, Dolly\u2019s goddaughter,\u00a0Miley Cyrus,\u00a0shared a post on Instagram, writing: \u201cThe feeling of losing my Aunt Dolly is beyond what feels right to share.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She continued: \u201cOur most sacred moments were private and they\u2019ll stay there behind the stage, beneath the glamour &amp; between our hearts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat I KNOW is Dolly would want me to feel it, write a song about it, and then continue on and be strong. I have an angel by my side. I always have. One of our last conversations was about music and metamorphosis.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She concluded: \u201cI will always love her and want to make her proud. My heart breaks for the world, her family and friends who will miss her deeply. We\u2019re in this loss together and we will see her in all of the most beautiful things.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-a-true-country-music-icon\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">A true country music icon<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dolly was an icon in more ways than one. But perhaps one of the most fitting ways to remember her is to look back at where she started. She grew up in a small cabin with little money and few of the comforts many take for granted, yet she carried the love of her family, her music and her determination with her throughout her life.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She never stopped turning what she had into something more \u2013 first through music, then through her career, and ultimately through the countless lives she touched with her generosity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From a little girl dreaming of a bigger life in the Tennessee mountains to one of the most beloved stars in the world, Dolly Parton built a legacy that went far beyond fame. And maybe that is what makes her story so extraordinary: She became a star without ever losing sight of where she came from.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dolly Parton\u2019s death has sent shockwaves around the world, and fans are now mourning the legendary country music icon, who will be remembered as a true star. But behind her &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4135,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2],"class_list":["post-4134","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trending","tag-breaking-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thejoeroganpod.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4134","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thejoeroganpod.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thejoeroganpod.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thejoeroganpod.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thejoeroganpod.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4134"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thejoeroganpod.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4134\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4136,"href":"https:\/\/thejoeroganpod.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4134\/revisions\/4136"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thejoeroganpod.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thejoeroganpod.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4134"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thejoeroganpod.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4134"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thejoeroganpod.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}