Smart Blonde: Dolly Parton

(Omnibus Press). A self-made woman in every sense, Dolly Parton arrived on the Nashville scene as a solo performer bedecked with lurid outfits and exaggerated accessories designed to get her noticed. Later she would bring the same approach to rebuilding her face and figure, but behind the showbiz excesses were always the exquisite voice and an exceptional songwriting talent. Talking to Dolly's family members, musicians, and producers, Miller gets to the core of a remarkable woman from a poor East Tennessee background who made it in the male-dominated world of 1960s Nashville and went on to build a respectable movie career as well. The author explores Dolly's private life, especially her closely guarded relationship with her husband of nearly 40 years, Carl Dean, and her lifelong friend Judy Ogle.