Smart Blonde: Dolly Parton

Product Description In the first entirely new major biography of Dolly Parton for over 15 years, Stephen Miller goes behind the larger-than-life image to find out what makes Dolly Parton tick. A self-made woman in every sense, Dolly arrived on the Nashville scene as a solo performer bedecked with lurid outfits and exaggerated accessories designed to get her noticed. Later she would bring the same approach to rebuilding her face and figure, but behind the showbiz excesses were always the exquisite voice and an exceptional songwriting talent. Talking to Dolly's family members, musicians and producers Miller gets to the core of a remarkable woman from a poor East Tennessee background who made it in the male-dominated world of 1960s Nashville and went on to build a respectable movie career as well. The author explores Dolly's private life, especially her closely-guarded relationships with her husband of nearly forty years, Carl Dean, and her lifelong friend Judy Ogle. What emerges is a unique portrait of a strong woman who came to town looking like a burlesque hooker but who took control of her life, her music and her career with resolute determination. Review ' A balanced, often absorbing study of an ultra-talented country music icon.' Mojo About the Author Stephen Miller practised as a solicitor until the early Nineties when he retired in order to pursue other interests, notably American country music. For six years he reviewed albums, books and concerts and interviewed a variety of artists for a weekly country music show on commercial radio station Scot FM. He is the author of Johnny Cash: The Life of an American Icon, also published by Omnibus Press. He lives in Edinburgh.