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We Will Always Love You, Dolly Parton! See the Country Icon’s Transformation Through the Years

Kelly Braun

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Ever since her rise to fame in the early 1970s, Dolly Parton has singlehandedly made the country fandom fall in love with her. The beloved “I Will Always Love You” songstress is not only acclaimed by fans and prestigious awards shows for her incredible talents but, overall, Dolly is simply a superstar human being.

Despite having a net worth of over $650 million dollars, Dolly wants everyone to know she’s just your average, run-of-the-mill type of gal. The “Jolene” singer exclusively opened up to Closer about what it’s like being a decades-long Hollywood star.

“The parties and seeing all the stars — I still get a kick out of it,” she shared at an event during Emmys weekend in 2017. “I’m a country girl. I used to think about Hollywood when I’d see it on TV. Now I get to be part of it. It’s fun.”

Dolly, who is best known for her legendary singing and songwriting — as well as the glitzy spin she puts on her country wardrobe — also dished the bit of advice she’d give to her younger self. “Wear more wigs! And makeup! More rhinestones!” the My Life and Other Unfinished Business author joked at the time. “And keep going. Write more songs. Do more movies!”

While the Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors actress — who has been married to her longtime husband, Carl Dean, since 1966 — has tons of advice to give thanks to her thrilling life, she noted she can’t take all the credit.

“My mother always used to say, ‘To thine own self be true,’” she shared with Closer. “That’s some of the best advice. I try to remember who I am, who my mama was, and what I was taught, and try to be true to my own nature, my own personality and my own talent.”

There’s no doubt Dolly has continued to stick to her humble roots despite reaching Hollywood superstardom at a young age.

Scroll through the gallery below to see Dolly’s stunning transformation through the years!

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