Dolly Parton never called herself a feminist. Yet through her music, independence and refusal to let others define her, the country music icon came to embody many of the ideals associated with feminism.
According to AP, Parton, who died this week at the age of 80, built her career on her own terms and used her songs to explore women’s independence, workplace inequality and the double standards they faced.
In 1987, Ms. magazine named her among its 12 Women of the Year. Feminist icon Gloria Steinem praised Parton for using her business success and influence to support women and disadvantaged people.
“If feminism means each of us finding our unique power, and helping other women to do the same,” Steinem wrote, “Dolly Parton certainly has done both.”
Parton, however, avoided the label. Author Lynn Melnick said the singer did not need one.
“She didn’t tell us she was a feminist,” Melnick said. “She showed us — in her actions and her words and in her songs.”
Her 1968 song Just Because I’m a Woman challenged the different moral standards imposed on men and women. During a 2019 performance at the Newport Folk Festival, Parton explained that the song grew from expectations that women should remain “pure” while men often faced no similar judgment.
Music writer Caryn Rose said Parton also understood how people underestimated her because of her glamorous appearance.
“She knew she was blonde and pretty, and that it was always going to work against her,” Rose said. “So she figured out how to make it work for her.”
Songs such as 9 to 5 addressed workplace inequality, economic independence and the struggles of working women. The song accompanied the 1980 film of the same name, which starred Parton alongside Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda.
Her music also touched on equal pay, teenage pregnancy, women’s sexuality and social judgment. The Bargain Store explored emotional healing after a relationship, while Down from Dover told the story of a pregnant teenage girl at a time when popular music rarely discussed unmarried mothers openly.
Some writers and fans saw Parton as ahead of her time, reflecting ideas later linked to third-wave feminism and its emphasis on personal choice and individual expression.
She fiercely defended her wigs, makeup, high heels and rhinestones as choices she made for herself. During a 1977 interview with Barbara Walters, Parton faced intrusive questions about her marriage, appearance and body. Walters even asked her to stand up and display her figure.
Parton remained composed.
“I know exactly what I am doing and I can change it at any time,” she said, explaining that confidence in herself and her talent allowed her to enjoy her larger-than-life image.
Parton never embraced the feminist label. But for generations of admirers, her life and music carried the message anyway: independence, confidence and the freedom to define yourself.
