There are few people as well known and loved as the inimitable singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist-actress-businesswoman-philanthropist Dolly Parton. Synonymous with her incomparable talents and looks, Parton, in life and now death, occupies a unique space within popular culture in that she is revered by nearly everyone. Hairstylists especially though.
Parton, who made no qualms about her love for beauty and hair over her storied career, earned the adoration of the professional community. This was immediately manifest in the wake of her passing with posts and stories flooding Instagram. Our team clocked some of the most touching Dolly tributes and reached out to a handful of professionals to discuss her legacy and impact.
Read on — and maybe grab a tissue.
Clayton Hawkins
Celebrity hairstylist Clayton Hawkins, famously loves a wig. And Dolly Parton. And Dolly Parton wigs (see above). In the hours following the news of Parton’s passing, Clayton posted a series of Instagram stories featuring Dolly through the years and we slid into his DMs for comment. He shared:
“I wore out my VHS of ‘Steel Magnolias’ growing up. That movie and Truvy in particular is one of the reasons I wanted to be a hairstylist. One thing about Dolly that always stuck with me was how many DIFFERENT kinds of people loved her. She was the epitome of a uniter.”
Janine Jarman
Celebrity and editorial hairstylist, salon owner and brand founder, Janine Jarman, has a deep connection to Dolly Parton. Curl Cult customers might have already had sense of this with the Dolly Potion Volumizing Curl Foam. Her Instagram post said as much, but we wanted to know more.
Jarman told us, “Yes my volumizing product is named after her.” So is her dog, by the way! She shared, “I always admired how she was a bunch of different things all at once: kind, funny, sexy outlandish, successful and talented. She was like just a walking contradiction all over the place. That’s something I always think about when I think of her is success on your own terms. Doesn’t mean you have to be mean doesn’t mean you have to dress a certain way or conform. Talent and a good heart for the win.”
She added, “I’ve always loved all of her quotes and whenever I’m asked for a quote it’s often something that she said. ‘If anyone tells you your hair is too big, get rid of them. You don’t need that kind of negativity in your life.'”
Laura Gunter
Georgia-based Laura Gunter took to Instagram with a “super vulnerable” video post that details the lessons she’d learned from and things she admired most about Parton. Chief among them? Dolly’s ability to be true to herself, being “unapologetically so,” no matter what.
We reached out to Gunter for further comment and she shared, “Dolly was an icon and an inspiration. She proved that hair isn’t just vanity, it’s identity. She viewed hairstylists s creative partners and valued our industry. She gave so much to her community and will be greatly missed.”
Skip Fellers
Asheville, North Carolina-based Skip Fellers was a longtime fan of Parton, taking to the gram with a beautiful carousel proving it. Of her connection, Fellers, who’s rocking a stunning Parton portrait tattoo on her leg, told us, “I think that obviously the whole world is mourning Dolly, but there’s just a little something extra all of us hairstylists are feeling. She always felt like one of us.”
Whitney Evans Beauty Salon
Knoxville, Tennessee salon Whitney Evans Beauty’s tribute to Parton went viral. And for good reason! Its caption got us all in our feelings. We reached out to the team about Parton’s legacy and they had this to say:
“Being a salon based in Knoxville and rooted in East Tennessee makes Dolly’s impact especially meaningful to us. She has been such an incredible representation of our home and has shown the world that beauty is about so much more than how you look. It’s about confidence, individuality, kindness, and making people feel good.
But what makes Dolly even more special to us is that her impact has always gone far beyond beauty. Her generosity and commitment to giving back, especially to the people and communities of East Tennessee, have shown what it truly means to use your success to lift others up.
As East Tennessee hairdressers, we’re incredibly proud to celebrate someone who has influenced our industry, represented our home, and given so much back to the community that helped shape her. Dolly will always be an inspiration to us.”
