Exclusive: The Quirky Habits That Keep Dolly Parton Going—From 3 A.M. Starts to Heels Without Wigs. ML
Dolly Parton is opening up about her private world.
In this week’s PEOPLE cover, the country legend reveals her morning routine — and why she still starts her days at 3 a.m.
“Sometimes it’s earlier than that,” Parton, 79, says. “That’s when I do all my spiritual work, my prayers and my dreaming, my thinking, when all the energies of the world have kind of died down.”
The singer — who looks back on her career in her new book Star of the Show: My Life on Stage — says she takes after her late father, tobacco farmer Robert, when it comes to being an early riser.Dolly Parton in Nashville on Aug. 11, 2025.
“I’m like my dad. And the older you get, the earlier you wake up, I’ve noticed that too. I don’t want to miss nothing either. So I don’t require a lot of sleep, I’m just one of those people that don’t,” she adds. “It seems to work for a long time, and I don’t see that changing. I’m an early bird.”
When she’s not working, the “Jolene” singer spends her downtime with family, cooking or reading — still in heels, of course.Dolly Parton in Nashville on Aug. 11, 2025.
“I’m short, I got to reach my cabinets!” she cracks. “I like to put on a little makeup. I don’t always wear the wigs, but I like to pull my hair up a little bit. Because I never know who’s going to come by or if somebody has to come fix my refrigerator or whatever.”
Parton may have a little more time off than usual these days. After losing her husband of 58 years, Carl Dean, in March, she neglected her own health. In September she canceled a public appearance over a kidney-stone related infection, then announced that she would be postponing her upcoming Las Vegas residency from December to September 2026. Dolly Parton (in Nashville on Aug. 11, 2025) on the cover of the Nov. 24, 2025 issue of PEOPLE.
“Dolly is getting better every day. She is at home taking care of herself while many friends and family visit her,” a source close to Parton tells PEOPLE of her recovery. “In true Dolly spirit she has already started decorating for the holidays — her favorite time of year.”
