Happy 55th Anniversary to Dolly Parton’s debut album Hello, I’m Dolly, originally released February 13, 1967.
It’s been a busy couple of months for Dolly Parton. Breaking world records, celebrating yet another year on this earth, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination and the recent announcement that the Queen of Country will now be hosting the 2022 57th Academy of Country Music Awards in March. Never one to forget the music, there is also a new album, Run, Rose, Run, slated for release in March and an accompanying novel of the same name, Parton’s first, co-written with author James Patterson. Oh, and then there is that Broadway musical, 9 to 5, based on the 1980 film of the same name, currently taking the world by storm.
Achievement has been at the heart of everything Parton does, unintentional or not.
With so much going on for the country icon and now well into her eighth decade, Parton’s work ethic and “wont stop till I drop” attitude is something that those half her age should aspire too. In fact it is those very ethics that have allowed the singer, songwriter, actress, producer, entrepreneur, philanthropist and writer to not only wear all those hats, but to cultivate a career that is not only varied beyond belief, but one that has seen longevity which has now spanned fifty-five years and counting.
Even within so much variety, there has always been an underlying theme in most, if not all of Parton’s work: female empowerment. This theme, whilst more apparent in certain eras of her work, most definitely was cemented with Parton’s now legendary debut release, Hello, I’m Dolly.
Although Parton had been singing since childhood, it was a chance opening at the Grand Ole Opry that saw a teenage Parton and her Uncle Bill Owens gain minor notoriety with Parton’s version of George Jones’ “You Gotta Be My Baby.” With a single that didn’t chart and a label that dropped her, Parton made the decision to move to Nashville, somewhere that has been firmly entrenched in the singer's identity ever since.
As most now know, Parton is a prolific writer and with a catalogue that supposedly spans thousands of songs, it was writing that first got Parton noticed by Fred Foster, the owner of Monument Records, the label that ended up releasing Hello, I’m Dolly, which also allowed Foster to produce the album. Along with Owens, Parton and her uncle co-wrote seven of the twelve songs, with Parton writing another three solo. Her most famous track from the album and one that would forever be attached to the singer, “Dumb Blonde,” was actually written by Curly Putman (“Green, Green Grass of Home”).
Coming in at just under thirty minutes, this album is not just Parton’s first, it’s most definitely one of her finest. It’s steeped in pure country with “Put It Off Until Tomorrow” taking the cake for a rather special reason. Country singer Bill Phillips, who had previously had a hit with the song and album of the same name, had also used an uncredited Parton for backing vocals on the track. In essence, this was the track that led Foster to Parton and the rest is history. Parton’s version was not typical of a lot of the country singers at the time. With a sweeter, more childlike voice, Parton stood out from her contemporaries, ensuring that her sound, although what some may have considered juvenile, was still able to convey the heartbreak that encompasses this song so perfectly.
With “Dumb Blonde” being one of the two singles (in total three were released) that charted, the song’s namesake proved to be the beginning of a symbiotic relationship between Parton and her alter ego, the ditzy blonde, something that Parton would go on to prove that she was anything but. With lines like “this dumb blonde ain’t nobody’s fool,” even though Parton didn’t write the song, it almost feels like Putman channeled Parton when writing the song. Making fun of herself before others had the chance to was not just a coping mechanism for an industry that can be unforgiving, but almost seems like a security blanket, one that has protected Parton for nearly six decades.
Something rather magical about a lot of Parton’s writing is her phenomenal wit and those not so subtle “Dollyisms.” The third and final single to be released from the album, “Something Fishy,” embodies said wit and also her assertion of power over her man. With lines like “I guess some large-mouth bass left that lipstick on your shirt / I don't think you're a fisherman / honey I think you're a flirt.” The kitschy lyrics are pure Parton and something only she could pull off. It is that humor amongst the sadness, that we can all relate to, but can’t articulate in the way that Parton does. Coupling those qualities with influences of bluegrass and that scrumptious banjo, this is one of the album's standout tracks.
Parton and personality go hand in hand. Neither can survive without the other and Parton injects personality into every track on this album. With other standout tracks like “Your Ole Handy Man,” Parton speaks of her troubles with being someone’s domestic slave. Bearing in mind that this album was released in 1967 and Parton’s public image has been that of the perennial “Dumb Blonde,” the singer, who was then just 21, delivered a near-rallying cry at the double standards and gender roles that were entrenched in society at the time. It’s safe to say that whilst Parton has a knack for diplomacy, her work still speaks volumes when it comes to showing the struggles women face, even if it is in an unconventional way. Her legacy is very clear.
Hindsight is a magical thing should we be afforded the luxury to bear witness to it. Like so much of Parton’s work, one must scratch the surface a little to truly understand just what it is that is being conveyed. This album is the epitome of “short and sweet,” and yet also shows just how much can be packed into under three minutes when the writer, in this case Parton, is incredibly gifted.
Like most of Parton’s work, her power lies in her ability to be vulnerable, witty, humorous and strong—all at the same time. “Hello, I’m Dolly,” achieves all of the above whilst being a debut. Parton not only walks in her light, she is the light and this album was the beginning of something that is just as strong today as it was fifty-five years ago. That is pure musical legacy right there.
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