Dolly Parton once went undercover at a lookalike contest dressed as herself – but the country icon was beaten by a drag queen after getting the least applause of the night
Dolly Parton may have been one of the most recognisable women in the world – but even the Queen of Country couldn’t win a Dolly Parton lookalike contest.
The music legend, who has died aged 80, once secretly entered a celebrity impersonator competition in Los Angeles and was stunned to discover she had been beaten by a drag queen who had spent months perfecting her Dolly transformation. The hilarious story emerged while Dolly was promoting her 2013 memoir Dream More, when she revealed she had decided to put her famous appearance to the ultimate test.
Rather than announcing who she was, Dolly joined the contestants and attempted to make herself look even more like the exaggerated version of herself that fans had come to know.
Dolly once explained: “They had a bunch of Chers and Dollys that year, so I just over-exaggerated… made my beauty mark bigger, the eyes bigger, the hair bigger, everything.”
But despite pulling out all the stops, Dolly’s disguise wasn’t enough to fool the judges – or win over the crowd. In fact, she revealed she received the least applause of the entire competition.
She recalled how the other contestants had spent weeks and months putting together their outfits and perfecting their performances.
Dolly, meanwhile, simply joined the line and waited for her turn.
She said: “So I just got in the line and they just thought I was some little short gay guy, and I got the least applause. But I was just dying laughing inside.”
The country superstar’s story is all the more remarkable because her instantly recognisable look had become such a huge part of her identity.
Dolly was famous for her towering blonde wigs, glamorous outfits, heavy make-up and distinctive beauty mark – a look she once admitted had been inspired by a woman she saw growing up in Tennessee.
She previously said: “I kind of patterned my look after the town tramp.”
Dolly’s trademark appearance became so iconic that impersonators and drag queens around the world have spent years recreating it.
Yet the woman who inspired them couldn’t even beat them at her own game.
Rather than being embarrassed by the defeat, Dolly found the whole thing hilarious, laughing at the fact that the crowd had no idea they were looking at the real deal.
The star’s ability to poke fun at herself was part of the charm that made her beloved far beyond country music.
Alongside her unforgettable appearance, Dolly leaves behind a seven-decade career packed with hits including Jolene, 9 to 5, Coat of Many Colors and I Will Always Love You.
Have you joined Threads? Follow Daily Star to keep up to date on all things showbiz here
Want all the biggest Showbiz and TV news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our free Daily Star Showbiz newsletter.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
