Dolly Parton ‘flattered’ by the hordes of Dolly drag queens
Country legend Dolly Parton has addressed the legions of drag queens who she has inspired.
The singer and gay icon is one of the most successful country musicians of all time – and it’s not a shock that some people want to be just like Dolly.
The owner of Tennessee theme park Dollywood – who received an award during her Glastonbury performance last year for selling 100 million albums worldwide – spoke about her life and drag impersonators in a recent interview with the Times.
She said of her childhood: “I didn’t know I was poor until some smart aleck told me…But we had food on the table – even if it wasn’t what we wanted, there was always something – and a bed to sleep in, even though it was three or four in a bed.”
The star – whose gay icon status was cemented when she appeared in 9 to 5 opposite Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin – has become a popular target for female impersonators and drag artists.
Addressing the boom in queens modelling themselves on her peroxide blonde hair and eye-catching make-up, she added: “Be totally accepting.”
Dolly continued: “I have a huge gay following and there’s a lot of Dolly drag queens out there, and I’m always flattered by that.”
The icon also confessed to modelling her own style – on a “local trollop”.
She said: “There’s a trollop in every town. We would go into town when I was a little bitty kid. i would see this woman and I thought she was beautiful.
“She had yellow hair piled on her head, make-up, red lipstick, long fingernails, high shoes. And I thought, “That’s what I’m gonna be when I grow up.”
Back in 2012, Parton dispelled any rumours that she herself was gay.
