Dolly Parton tattoos in focus as 'young' photos of Jolene singer emerge after death

The country music icon’s hidden pastel tattoos have drawn renewed attention after fans revisited old photos of Dolly Parton and rare glimpses of her body art.

Dolly Parton’s secret tattoos have captured public attention following the death of the country music icon at 80. Fans online have been revisiting old photographs of the singer from when she was young, searching for the hidden artwork she kept covered under her trademark long sleeves.

The country music icon’s hidden pastel tattoos have drawn renewed attention after fans revisited old photos of Dolly Parton and rare glimpses of her body art. (REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo)

One user shared images of her as a young musician and wrote, “I’m just now noticing pictures of a young Dolly Parton and JESUS!!! I never realized just how pretty she was”

Parton died on August 25 after a brief battle with cancer, her family confirmed. The singer-songwriter left behind a six-decade legacy built on hits such as “Jolene”, “I Will Always Love You” and “9 to 5”.

Why Dolly Parton got tattoos and why she kept them hidden

Parton repeatedly explained that her tattoos were not created as a rebellious statement. She had said that the tattoos helped cover scars caused by medical procedures and her tendency to develop keloid scars.

In a 2014 interview with Today, Parton said her fair skin caused scars to remain purple. She explained that she used small pastel tattoos to disguise those marks. “I started having little pastel things to disguise things,” she said during a 2016 interview with Larry King.

Parton had previously said that she viewed the tattoos as a form of decoration. She said she preferred turning scars into something positive by adding designs such as flowers and butterflies. She said, “I do have some tattoos, that’s true. But they’re tasteful. I’m not a tattoo girl.”

In a 2021 interview with W Magazine, she again described her tattoos as “pastel” and “artful.” She said, “I don’t have the real heavy, dark tattoos. Mine are all pastel. And I have more than one!”

Amid the interest in Parton's tattoos and alleged photo was shared on X.

However, the picture came from an unverified profile. HT.com could not independently verify the authenticity of this image.

Butterflies, ribbons and a beehive

Although Parton never gave fans a full view of her tattoos, she shared small details over the years.

During a 1999 appearance with Jay Leno, she revealed a small angel tattoo and mentioned having a butterfly tattoo. She also told People, “I like to make positives out of negatives. I had a little beehive tattooed over it — a little yellow-and-brown beehive with a tiny little bee on top of the hive. The mouth of it is that little sinkhole.”

One of her most personal tattoos was the small beehive design. Parton said it covered a mark left by a feeding tube after she suffered a serious health issue. She described the tattoo as a tiny yellow-and-brown beehive with a small bee on top.

Despite decades of public appearances, photographs of Parton’s tattoos remain extremely rare. Fans on social media recently expressed surprise upon discovering how carefully she had protected that part of her identity. Parton had once said that these tattoos were “mostly for my husband.”

A few years ago, when asked whether she had tattooed her husband of 54 years, Carl Dean, on her body, Parton replied, “No, he's tattooed on my heart.”