NEWSDolly Parton 'Slept in Her Makeup,' Late Singer's Sister Reveals
Stella described Dolly's love for makeup, with her sister even going to bed glammed up.
Sept. 11 2026, Updated 3:57 p.m. ET
Dolly Parton was glam at all times of the day, according to her sister Stella Parton.
"She would sleep in her makeup when she would come spend the night with me," Stella said during a September 10 appearance on CBS Mornings with Gayle King.
Stella Knew Dolly Without the Glam
Stella said Dolly always had makeup on.
Gayle asked Stella if she wanted to see her sister's natural look.
"Oh, I knew what she looked like, of course!" Stella replied. "Because she looked like me without her makeup."
Stella, 77, grew up alongside Dolly before her sister's trademark appearance became one of the most recognizable images in country music.
The Country Icon Stayed Camera Ready at Home
Dolly always made sure she looked glamorous even at home.
Dolly's commitment to her appearance extended beyond public appearances. In a 2023 interview with People, the late country icon revealed that she stayed fully styled even while lounging around the house.
"I like to put on a little makeup," she said. "I don't always wear the wigs, but I like to pull my hair up a little bit."
She added that she never knew "who's going to come by" or when someone might arrive to fix something at her home.
The "9 to 5" singer also joked about wearing high heels around the house, saying, "I'm short, I got to reach my cabinets!"
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She Loved to Dress Up for Carl
Dolly said she wanted to look good for her husband.
Dolly also kept things exciting for her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean.
"I like to dress up for Carl," she told E! News' Daily Pop in 2022.
"Every day, I put on some makeup and fix my hair," she said, adding that she did not want to come home after everyone else had seen her dressed up and simply "flop on him."
"Nobody wants to make out with a slouch!" she joked.
"It's important to me that I look as good as I can," she added, saying it helped keep things "spicy."
Dolly Loved the 'Country Girl' Glam
Dolly loved makeup.
Dolly embraced an unapologetic approach to cosmetics, telling Vogue in 2020, "I always like to wear a lot of makeup. More than probably I should wear."
"My look is a country girl's idea of glam," she told CBS Sunday Morning in 2019. "I wasn't naturally pretty, so I make the most of anything I've got," the "Jolene" singer asserted.
Dolly died August 25 at 80 following a brief battle with cancer. Stella said that the singer was "at peace" when she died.
