Smart Blonde: Dolly Parton
by Stephen Miller
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Book Summary Information
Author: Stephen MillerEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-10-01
ISBN: 1846097606
Number of pages: 388
Publisher: Omnibus Press
Book Reviews of Smart Blonde: Dolly Parton
Book Review: Dolly's dreams started when she woke up ...
Summary: 5 Stars
Little girls often dream of fame and glory at night, but Dolly had bigger dreams than most. It must have been difficult to dream when life itself was almost crowded out by eleven siblings, a father who enjoyed taking a nip now and then and a mother who certainly had little time to nurture the fantasy life of a precocious youngster. Sevierville County, Tennessee wasn't exactly a thriving metropolis and no one was going to come knocking at the Parton's door to listen to a little whippersnapper sing her heart out, but there were people who did believe in her and one of them was her uncle, Bill Owens. Dolly's dreams would take her far beyond the Smoky Mountains and, as she later maintained, "her dreams started when she woke up."
Stephen Miller, author of the mesmerizing new biography of Dolly, Smart Blonde: Dolly Parton, struggled to look beyond the glitz and the gaudy to discover an intelligent and extremely talented woman. As a young girl many children shunned her and their parents, naturally, didn't want their children hanging around with someone with such loose morals. Childhood wasn't easy for her. As she later claimed, "I was the most popular girl in the school for all the wrong reasons . . . I had a foxy personality." She neglected to add the word "brains," but the combination of all her assets later dropped her into the world of country music like a ten-ton atom bomb.
After meeting her future husband Carl Dean and the Wishy-Washy Laundromat her life started moving faster than the spin cycle on a Maytag. Her talent began to blossom and Dolly began to leave them all in the dust, including the talented Porter Wagoner. Not all that glitters is gold and this intensely private woman began to experience some problems associated with fame. Why did Porter want to sue her? Was there anything to the rumor that her pal Judy Ogle was more than just an assistant? Did her purported abandonment of her family lead to animosity later on? The infamous sister Stella had a few things to say about her sister . . .
According to Steve Buckingham, "If you like Dolly you have to take the deep thinking Dolly, the great musician Dolly, the incredible songwriting Dolly, along with the glitzy Dolly, the corny Dolly, the showgirl; I mean it's all her."
As a Dolly Parton neophyte, I found this book extremely fascinating, well written and found myself thinking if this book were an authorized biography it would be an excellent choice. Miller was able to glean tidbits from Dolly's sister Stella that would interest even the most skeptical know-it-all. The star stalkers of the world may find little in this book they don't already claim to know, but the average reader will come away with a sense of awe, wonder and respect for one of the century's most talented musical icons. My own journey through the book was complimented and enjoyed by several trips to youtube to watch numerous clips of Dolly throughout the years. I used to race quickly between radio dials to avoid country music, but artists like Dolly Parton gave pause to this habit and books like this one can make anyone stop and take note. This book is well worth the money and will provide many hours of affordable entertainment.
Deb Fowler - Roundtable Reviews
Summary of Smart Blonde: Dolly Parton
An updated edition of the first new and substantial biography for over 15 years. Stephen Miiller goes behind the larger-than-life image to find out what really makes Dolly Parton tick. 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.Composers & Musicians Books
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