Talk:Dolly Parton

Suggested change to default picture

I suggest this above picture from 1977, to avoid WP:RECENTISM, and to depict Parton during the peak of her notability in the 1970s. See also Template:Infobox person#Image: "When the subject of a biographical article has recently died, particularly those who have been publicly known for decades, editors may come to a consensus on the article's talk page regarding what image would best be suited for the infobox." Arbor to SJ (talk) 18:14, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

I scrolled through the pictures in the article and I agree, this is such a great choice for the infobox. Aurora mc (talk) 18:17, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

Agreed. Good picture for the infobox ⚠︎ ArkadenBoden ⚠︎ (talk) 18:29, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

I think this image is amazing, but it does NOT represent Dolly as the public knows her, and/or remembers her.. I though to revert it, but I am only one person, and I don’t want to step on any toes. This image would be great as one of the body images of the article. ~2026-46544-43 (talk) 18:34, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

Well it's one of her best known images, so... Justdoowit665 (talk) 19:26, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

I really think an image that displays Dolly Parton as the public recognizes her, would be better for the Infobox. While this image is stunning, and brings her youth to clear light, it's NOT one that the public at large would see/view and remark, "hey that's Dolly!" I'm just one opinion, but I think it makes sense to display an image that is more recognizable to the public. Thanks, Dijcks | ^InOut 18:58, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

• There is precedent to use "older" pictures of people when they away to picture them in their "prime". Not sure if this norm is stated anywhere but see Elizabeth II, Michael Jackson, etc. Natg 19 (talk) 19:27, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

100% A!!!!!!! Prodioctive (talk) 21:09, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

Agree GREEK MYTHOLOGY 123 (talk) 11:58, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

Just to make this a more neutrally motivated discussion for a picture change (multiple choices) so we should have an actual discussion rather than hastily changing it to one specific image, here is all appropriate images of Parton, including the one above (feel free to add more when more become available):

• 
  A (1977)
• 
  B (1984)
• 
  C (1989)
• 
  D (2000)
• 
  E (2003)
• 
  F (2003)
• 
  G (2010)
• 
  H (2022; current)
• 
  I (2014) (added by User:Lambda)
• 
  J (1977) (added by User:Wcamp9)
• 
  K (2014) (added by User:DvTor8303

KagedCroc1 ⭐️ 19:28, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

• A for sure. It's the best photo and it's from the peak of her career. Nosferattus (talk) 19:39, 25 August 2026 (UTC)
• Prefer E. Probably the most representative image other than the one before the bold change to the 1977 one. XtraJovial (talk • contribs) 19:57, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

A is the best of these. TonySt  20:00, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

A followed by E. A is the best photo and follows the precedent from other celebrities during the peaks of their careers, like Betty White, Whitney Houston, Freddie Mercury, Selena. AG202 (talk) 20:16, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

A is the best in opinion and I echo @AG202 Kirbylegal (talk) 20:20, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

None of them right now - Whilst I like how A is a black and white picture which follows from a lot of artists, it doesn't show Dolly Parton signature look, if you know what I mean Support J It fixed my previous issue with A, but A would be my second choice Crazywork (talk) 20:28, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

A is the most recognizable across the years and follows prescedent. Ktkvtsh (talk) 20:34, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

A or E. ~ IvanScrooge98 (talk) 20:40, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

Update: I also support the newly added I or J. ~ IvanScrooge98 (talk) 04:36, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

• Note added option H - this was the image for the article before her death today. Natg 19 (talk) 20:42, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

A really feels like it's by far the best choice. It's a nice and respectful image of her, close in on her face, and she's holding a calm and neutral facial expression. A big smile feels incorrect and unencyclopedic for an infobox picture of someone who just died.

Most people remember Elizabeth II as an old lady, but her infobox image shows a portrait of her at age 24. That's certainly not how I remember her, but it's a picture of her that captures her at the most critical time of her life, arguably. Aurora mc (talk) 20:43, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

From what I know, she was quite well-known for her big and bright smile. If anything, it would be more preferable to use as it fairly represents her well. KagedCroc1 ⭐️ 20:57, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

Support E or A, in that order. If we're following the Elizabeth II precedent it would be option A, but I think option E is more recognizable and is in color. estar8806 (talk) ★ 20:53, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

• Support A Better quality and follows the traditional precedent of replacing infobox images with ones that depict the subject during their prime. --TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 20:58, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

Apologies for not voicing my thoughts sooner, but I am leaning towards A and D (in that order). A per reasons above. D has a 'later signature look' and a good quality which would be a suitable image to put in bio if A seems to be the favoured as the lead image. KagedCroc1 ⭐️ 21:04, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

Now that J has been added, I think I now have most support for J, but really closely with A. the photo has a higher resolution, she is facing forward for a better representation, and she is smiling (well-known for her smiling and thus more ideal). The main disadvantage for the photo is that it was very slightly earlier than the 'peak' of her career (I'd personally argue from 1973 to 1981) much like A, but she was still well-known during 1970. Like I said above, A and D would both be great images for her biography, along with G. KagedCroc1 ⭐️ 10:39, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

Support A: Most flattering photo of her and it's highly recognizable to Dolly Parton fans and anyone else, and represents her at around her musical prime. B is too unflattering, C is too low-quality, D-F look weird, and definitely not H-I. The secondary option could be Option G because of how flattering it looks, but she was about 63 at the time of this photo. RTSthestardust (talk) 21:04, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

I - as someone not here as a long-time fan but just interested in our encyclopedia, this image seems to best reflect her widespread public image (not whatever fans call the "peak" of her popularity decades ago). --ZimZalaBim^talk 21:16, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

A shows her in her prime, as the precedent for deceased people demands. Akaza ^[talk] 21:21, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

Weak support A or E, with reservations. A is the best in terms of photography and image quality, but I feel she was well known for her big broad smile and distinctive, glitzy style of dressing, neither of which features in A. On the other hand, E captures the 'vibe' better, albeit not perfectly, and is not the best image. Theorolyst (talk) 21:21, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

Edit: Support J. Per above issues with A this is now the better option. Theorolyst (talk) 08:43, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

A: Dolly in her prime, per Wikipedia essay WP:GOTFRYD. — Javert2113 (Siarad.|¤) 21:27, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

Addendum: Want to add a caveat. There's a higher-res scan of Photo A. That should be used in lieu of the exact version of A here. — Javert2113 (Siarad.|¤) 22:02, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

I've added it above. KagedCroc1 ⭐️ 10:36, 27 August 2026 (UTC)

@Javert2113 KagedCroc1 ⭐️ 10:36, 27 August 2026 (UTC)

Thanks. It's the one being used now, I believe. — Javert2113 (Siarad.|¤) 11:34, 27 August 2026 (UTC)

A would follow what we see with the Elvis Presley page. He was known for his rhinestone jumpsuits from the 70s, but the image used from 1957 appears to be a promo from Jailhouse Rock before that era. They are arguably of a similar stature from a cultural perspective. I would also agree that this change doesn’t necessarily need to be immediate. Tvahunter (talk) 21:30, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

• A shows her in her prime. Older photos are WP:RECENTISM. Andrew🐉(talk) 21:40, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

A: It jumps out amongst the selected images, comes across as iconic and screams "infobox image". Michael0986 (talk) 21:45, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

While I think A probably is the best of these pictures, I do have a concern if it will be a copyright issue. The others have clearly stated sources and copyright info. A is claimed to be in the public domain due to being published in 1977 with no copyright notice, but I don't see any evidence of that. I think we should be a bit cautious of adding an image with unclear copyright status as the lead image on such a high profile page. I added I as an option that I found in Commons that has her performing, as she was a singer and musician, though it is a bit technically weaker than some of the other options. There are some other potential options we could import from Flickr, though I haven't found any that really stand out compared to the current options, but I invite others to take a look. Anyhow, I think probably A would be best if we're comfortable with the copyright, I (or find a better one on Flickr or elsewhere) to show her performing, or just stick with the current H I think is decent too. — λ (talk | contribs) 21:43, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

I've started a discussion asking about the copyright status of the suggested image in the Commons village pump, if anyone wants a dedicated place to discuss that topic. — λ (talk | contribs) 21:55, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

Thanks to everyone who has contributed in the discussion, I'm now satisfied that we have enough evidence that this photo is in the public domain as claimed. With that resolved, yeah, A is the best of the options that we have. — λ (talk | contribs) 23:05, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

• A, and I don't think it's close, especially compared to the others that are grainy (C,H,I) or unflattering (E,F). "A" is such a good option that I'd nominate it as among the best infobox images for any figure we've had this conversation for. TNstingray (talk) 22:52, 25 August 2026 (UTC)

A. If A is determined to be non-free, then I would choose B since the quality is reasonable and it's from the middle of her career. If forced to pick something else, then C, E, or I, but only if A or B are not options due to copyright. The other options are worse. Daniel Quinlan (talk) 00:05, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

G Seems like an unpopular opinion but G has her front, clear, and centre and at a stage of her life that many are familiar with. However, I understand the argument used for A. Ornithoptera (talk) 00:10, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

Could we use image J? It is an image of Parton when she was young, and shows her with her famous big smile Wcamp9 (talk) 01:30, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

Canuckian89 @Ornithoptera @Daniel Quinlan @TNstingray @Andrew Davidson @lambda @Michael0986 @Javert2113 @Tvahunter @Akaza @Theorolyst @ZimZalaBim @RTSthestardust @KagedCroc1 @TDKR Chicago 101 @Estar8806 @Aurora mc @Natg 19 @Ktkvtsh @Crazywork @Kirbylegal @AG202 @TonySt @XtraJovial @Nosferattus @Prodioctive @Justdoowit665 @ArkadenBoden @Arbor to SJ Should we change it to Image J Wcamp9 (talk) 01:58, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

I honestly like the J option. I'm honestly not sure about it though because people will not recognize it as much as Option A, which had been used for merchandise and is one of the most recognizable Dolly pictures. So for right now, A. RTSthestardust (talk) 02:40, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

Stick with A because it is the most recognizable. J could be a good second choice.

⚠︎ ArkadenBoden ⚠︎ (talk) 11:32, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

I stick behind my vote for option A. Ktkvtsh (talk) 07:34, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

I agree that J should be the new image, follows exactly what I was looking for in my last comment. Crazywork (talk) 08:34, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

Support J. It solves the main issue I had with A previously, depicting her smiling. Theorolyst (talk) 08:38, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

I stick behind my vote of A for the same reason as @RTSthestardust. Kirbylegal (talk) 11:12, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

J would be my second choice behind A. Both are clearly in a league of their own compared to options B-I. RTSthestardust makes a great point that A is one of her most recognizable pictures and we need to consider the user experience. TNstingray (talk) 11:42, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

still A Prodioctive (talk) 12:02, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

I'll stick with E. XtraJovial (talk • contribs) 12:05, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

I prefer J over A now, but A is still solid. AG202 (talk) 12:55, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

Still Option A. Honestly I feel like it's one of the best headshots in a Wikipedia biography that I've come across. I don't feel like Option J is particularly recognizable. --TonySt  14:42, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

Stick with A While option J is a good contender, I think option A is a pretty damn good headshot that (allow me to fangirl), captures our queen perfectly. TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 16:07, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

It is a pretty good photograph Wcamp9 (talk) 21:21, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

What others have said: A as base, J as backup — Javert2113 (Siarad.|¤) 21:57, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

J would be my second choice after A. While I haven't tallied comments, there seems to be a decent amount of consensus for A, it's in the article now, it's from the height of her recording career, and just a few years before her peak movie years. I think A is a better overall choice. Daniel Quinlan (talk) 02:18, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

J is definitely a good option. I've moved it into the gallery along with the other choices just to have them side by side. I feel like this discussion already came to a consensus, the originally proposed A, by the time you proposed this. The article has already been edited with the new choice, and it hasn't been reverted. I'm not sure we want to try to come to a new consensus in the same discussion after this has already been made. But anyhow, I think that if I had to choose, I might pick J over A, but it's fairly close, they are both good. We might want to instead do a separate discussion with a head-to-head comparison between the two, because A had won out over the other options — λ (talk | contribs) 04:04, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

Support J. It's easily recognizable as Dolly Parton, while still showing here close to her prime and being a good quality image UnscapeableDeath (talk) 11:51, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

A Depicts Dolly in the prime of her career. Every "old person" was young at some point. Take a look at all the infobox photos for actors from Hollywood's "Golden Era" (1930s to 1950s). Many of those actors lived well into their 80s and 90s, but we don't go with photos of them at their "advanced age" just because "that's what they looked like" when they died"... Like... Imagine if Gloria Stuart's main photo was her at 100 years old because "people of the 21st century know her best as 100 year old Rose from Titanic". Canuck^{89 (Talk to me) or visit my user page} 00:33, August 26, 2026 (UTC)

J, failing that A. J depicts her at a similar point in her career, but is more a more sympathtetic picture to my mind. She's displaying her characteristic smile and looks at the viewer, both aspects which I think are somewhat lacking in the picture A. LightlySeared (talk) 16:25, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

Here are some general thoughts. (a) I'm not really convinced by comments above about showing her in her "prime": she was successful and prominent from the early 1970s until well into the 2000s, and I think that entire period was her "prime". (b) As a rule of thumb, I'd always rather see a color than a b/w photo, so that rules out A, B and J. (c) Per MOS:PORTRAIT, "it is preferable to place images so that they face towards the text", which in the case of a lede or infobox image means it's preferable to have the subject facing left – so that rules out C, E and K. My vote would be for I, which shows her in iconic style, and (as a bonus) actively making music. ~2026-46649-09 (talk) 17:24, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

A has a better exposure balance than J, but J is certainly a close second. I prefer A though. TarkusAB^talk/contrib 22:14, 26 August 2026 (UTC)

A Easily recognizable and depicts her in the prime of her career. A. Randomdude0000 (talk) 18:36, 28 August 2026 (UTC)

A. Support. I like it the best. Seems like she's seeing something beyond, that the rest of us just can't quite see. - Shearonink (talk) 21:36, 29 August 2026 (UTC)

Dolly Parton’s Wikipedia Photo Changed Overnight—and Fans Think They Know Why, for the interested. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 13:27, 29 August 2026 (UTC)

Thanks! Yeah, I've noted our WP:GOTFRYD custom above, and I'm glad to see it gaining some mainstream press. XD — Javert2113 (Siarad.|¤) 17:23, 29 August 2026 (UTC)

There's an essay I've never seen before. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 18:26, 30 August 2026 (UTC)

Multiple myeloma was the cause of death

So far, it's not in the news but she died of multiple myeloma. Balmainnsw (talk) 08:57, 28 August 2026 (UTC)

Do you have a source that says this? And how do you know this if it's not in the news? EmergentAnarchy (talk) 10:35, 28 August 2026 (UTC)

Indications are that this theory has sprung from social media, not from any official source. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 11:54, 28 August 2026 (UTC)

@Baseball Bugs it is official because there was a video posted to her official social media expressing the news of her passing.. Slambyte (talk) 12:53, 29 August 2026 (UTC)

WE don't need a source for her passing, we have hundreds. What we require is a published reliable source that directly states that her cause of death was multiple myeloma. If you have one, provide us with a link. If you don't, it isn't going in the article. AndyTheGrump (talk) 13:46, 29 August 2026 (UTC)

@AndyTheGrump unfortunately the cause of death was never publicly addressed. We only know that she passed from a type of cancer that is undisclosed. Slambyte (talk) 13:53, 29 August 2026 (UTC)

Wikipedia content must be based on what published sources directly state. If they don't say something, neither will we. AndyTheGrump (talk) 13:57, 29 August 2026 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 30 August 2026

Add "and the Queen of Appalachia" after "Queen of Country" in the introductory paragraph of Dolly Parton's page. Mountainpose (talk) 04:06, 30 August 2026 (UTC)

 Not done: This does not appear to be a widely used term for her, definitely unfitting for the lead Cannolis (talk) 04:12, 30 August 2026 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 30 August 2026 (2)

Surely she was 81 not 80 ~2026-47408-95 (talk) 15:52, 30 August 2026 (UTC)

 Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want made. Shearonink (talk) 16:21, 30 August 2026 (UTC)

80 years and 7 months. That's 80, not 81. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 19:09, 30 August 2026 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 31 August 2026

I'm not submitting this in a "Change X to Y" format because I'm not fussed on the exact placement in the article or phrasing, but I think it should be mentioned somewhere that the music festival Dollyfest, originally scheduled for January 2026, has just been announced as taking place in 2027 to honour Parton's life. Here's a source:

https://www.billboard.com/music/country/dolly-parton-honored-two-day-dollyfest-2027-london-nashville-1236328846 ~2026-41404-95 (talk) 15:26, 31 August 2026 (UTC)

 Not done. It's not clear what changes you want to make. –Deacon Vorbis (carbon • videos) 20:49, 31 August 2026 (UTC)

Death of Dolly Parton

I know this was a redirect but I have reconverted it to a standalone article. Her death, even as of today, still has a significant impact. Here are significant developments:

1. Tennessee football is wearing decals to honor her and theres also this.
2. There’s an effort to rename Nashville's airport after her.
3. Two festivals will be held next year to honor her life.
4. Cities are declaring September 25 as Dolly Parton Day
5. Flags lowered at half staff to honor her

Her nephew has announced her death so when the article is expanded use this as a source to confirm it. Like Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, she is deserving of a standalone article on her death despite the fact her death was from natural causes (cancer) as compared to the later two. A legacy section should be included with this source being a notable one. I have already started working on the lead section. ~2026-48327-85 (talk) 06:55, 5 September 2026 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 7 September 2026

Change "On January 16, 2026, in anticipation of her 80th birthday, Parton released a rendition of the song 'Light of a Clear Blue Morning' featuring several celebrity guests: Queen Latifah, Lainey Wilson, Miley Cyrus, Reba McEntire, David Foster," to "On January 16, 2026, in anticipation of her 80th birthday, Parton released a rendition of the song 'Light of a Clear Blue Morning' featuring several celebrity guests: Queen Latifah, Lainey Wilson, Miley Cyrus, Reba McEntire, and David Foster." Pachekovfan (talk) 23:48, 7 September 2026 (UTC)

 Done TonySt  23:51, 7 September 2026 (UTC)

Typo

Sorry, I don't really know how to use Wikipedia but I hope someone sees this and makes the edit. There is a typo in the second paragraph of the 2005-2020 section.

"After the death of Michael Jackson, who Parton knew lly, she released a video expressing her feelings about him and his death.

I'm assuming it used to say "casually, or something like that. Nikvex (talk) 04:02, 10 September 2026 (UTC)

Corrected. Good catch and welcome to Wikipedia! Tantomile (talk) 04:17, 10 September 2026 (UTC)

It's actually "personally", and the mistake was made twice: Now fixed. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 04:29, 10 September 2026 (UTC)

In advance of additions concerning Bryan Seaver

Hi folks, I thought we might use this section to figure out the best path forward for the inevitable addition (somewhere) of the recent news concerning Dolly's nephew (NYT) (ABC) (USATODAY) (Local station). I'm not sure at present if he'd qualify on his own for GNG per ONEEVENT, but I'm also not certain that this page would be the best place for it. Just thought I'd start the discussion so the eventual addition doesn't result in the presumed hostilities I suspect will ensue. All the best, and my thanks for engagement in advance. CSGinger14 (talk) 21:40, 23 September 2026 (UTC)

I think this specific news about Seaver being fired is in the vein of WP:TOOSOON. I think some more time is needed for any news on the subject of Dolly Parton's estate to develop. If there are more legal motions/maneuvers/filings/lawsuits etc. Some mention of a celebrity's estate in the Wikipedia article about that celebrity is not untoward, for example some information about the estates of Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor, and Freddie Mercury all appear in their main articles. - Shearonink (talk) 03:56, 24 September 2026 (UTC)