For decades, Dolly Parton was known for her distinctive style, enormous hairstyles, and eye-catching dresses, but there was one detail of her appearance she rarely showed: she had several tattoos. The singer explained that they were small pastel-colored designs that she mainly got to cover scars.
Parton said that her skin tends to form keloid tissue and that she disliked some scars from surgeries. So she decided to turn them into something she would actually like. Instead of using large, dark tattoos, she opted for delicate, colorful designs.
One of them has a particularly curious story. Parton revealed that on one occasion she had to use a feeding tube, a procedure that left a small mark on her side. To cover it, she decided to get a tattoo of a small yellow-and-brown beehive with a bee on top.
The singer has also mentioned other designs, including butterflies, flowers, bows, and lace motifs. For years, these tattoos were difficult to see because Parton tends to wear clothing that covered her arms and much of her body.
That also fueled her followers’ curiosity, as they spent years trying to discover what she was hiding beneath her characteristic dresses. Some photographs have led to speculation about possible tattoos, but Parton herself has confirmed that they exist and explained why she began getting them.
Thus, behind one of the most recognizable images in American music was a much more personal story: Parton turned some scars she didn’t like into small designs she did want to have on her skin. A little-known facet of the artist that today forms part of her legacy.