Dolly Parton once secretly entered a Dolly Parton lookalike contest in Los Angeles and was beaten by a drag queen, receiving the least applause of the entire competition.
The country music legend, who has died aged 80, decided to put her famous appearance to the test while promoting her 2013 memoir Dream More. Rather than announcing who she was, she joined the contestants and attempted to make herself look even more like the exaggerated version of herself that fans had come to know.
Over-exaggerated look
Dolly once explained: “They had a bunch of Chers and Dollys that year, so I just over-exaggerated… made my beauty mark bigger, the eyes bigger, the hair bigger, everything.”
Despite pulling out all the stops, her disguise wasn't enough to fool the judges or win over the crowd. She revealed that she received the least applause of the whole competition. She recalled how the other contestants had spent weeks and months putting together their outfits and perfecting their performances, while she simply joined the line and waited for her turn.
She said: “So I just got in the line and they just thought I was some little short gay guy, and I got the least applause. But I was just dying laughing inside.”
Iconic look and legacy
The story is all the more remarkable because her instantly recognisable look had become such a huge part of her identity. Dolly was famous for her towering blonde wigs, glamorous outfits, heavy make-up and distinctive beauty mark – a look she once admitted had been inspired by a woman she saw growing up in Tennessee.
She previously said: “I kind of patterned my look after the town tramp.”
Her trademark appearance became so iconic that impersonators and drag queens around the world have spent years recreating it. Yet the woman who inspired them couldn't even beat them at her own game. Rather than being embarrassed by the defeat, Dolly found the whole thing hilarious, laughing at the fact that the crowd had no idea they were looking at the real deal.
The star's ability to poke fun at herself was part of the charm that made her beloved far beyond country music. Alongside her unforgettable appearance, Dolly leaves behind a seven-decade career packed with hits including Jolene, 9 to 5, Coat of Many Colors and I Will Always Love You.
