Dolly Parton’s WeHo Chapters

There are legends, there are icons, and then there was Dolly.

The City of West Hollywood joins people around the world in remembering Dolly Parton, an extraordinary singer, songwriter, author, actor, philanthropist, humanitarian, LGBTQ+ ally, and, for a time, one of our very own neighbors.

And Dolly didn’t just live in West Hollywood. She had some very Dolly-in-WeHo moments while she was here.

She owned a home in the Norma Triangle. She was a regular at West Hollywood’s Flavor of India, where the menu still proudly identifies Chicken Tikka Masala as “Dolly Parton’s Favorite Indian Dish.”

And then there’s the story that may forever set Dolly’s place in West Hollywood history:

Dolly Parton once entered a Dolly Parton look-alike contest at an LGBTQ+ bar on Santa Monica Boulevard.

And lost.

Yes. Dolly Parton lost a Dolly Parton look-alike contest.

Surrounded by drag performers doing their best Dolly, the actual Dolly apparently decided she needed to give herself a little extra help. She exaggerated the hair, makeup, and beauty mark and joined the competition.

“I didn’t win,” she later recalled in an interview. “I didn’t even come in close, I don’t think.”

She thought it was hysterical.

Frankly, losing a Dolly Parton look-alike contest to a drag queen in West Hollywood may be one of the most West Hollywood things that has ever happened.

But beneath the wigs, rhinestones, and wonderful stories was something much more meaningful: Dolly Parton stood with the LGBTQ+ community for decades, including at times when doing so wasn't necessarily easy or popular for a country music superstar.

“I’ve fought for the right to be myself,” she once said of her connection with LGBTQ+ people. “We are who we are, so why can’t we be allowed to be that?”

And when asked about criticism she received for her support, Dolly’s response was characteristically uncomplicated:

“I love everybody.”

Maybe that’s why West Hollywood and Dolly always seemed to fit together so naturally.

Be yourself. Love who you love. Laugh loudly. Stand up for people. Don’t take yourself too seriously.

And, when appropriate, add more hair.

Dolly Parton gave the world an extraordinary catalog of music, but she also gave us generosity, humor, authenticity and an example of how kindness and acceptance can be powerful things.

The City of West Hollywood was lucky to call Dolly a neighbor, proud to call her an ally, and delighted to be part of at least a few chapters in the wonderfully improbable story of her life.

WeHo will always love you, Dolly.