Dolly Parton, Icon, Just Recreated Her Famous '70s Playboy Cover At 75

Dolly Parton during Christmas special

Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love Dolly Parton? The 75-year-old “Jolene” singer has put out iconic songs, starred in fan-favorite movies and enlightened us with the occasional “Dollyism.” While the entertainer continues to act and sing today, she’s also become a delightful presence on social media, posting sweet updates and cool throwbacks. Well, one of her more recent posts is a bit of both, as it sees her successfully recreating her famous ‘70s Playboy cover for a special occasion.

Since 1966, Dolly Parton has been married to Carl Thomas Dean, who has mostly stayed out of the spotlight in the midst of the attention his famous wife gets. Despite the fact that they two are rarely seen together in public, they seem to have a loving and devoted relationship. And it’s this love that prompted Parton to make a Playboy-centric birthday surprise for her hubby. Because Dean loved her original Playboy cover, Parton decided to have a photo shoot and recreate it as a present. You can check out the singer’s Instagram post, in which she lays out her plans, down below:

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Dolly Parton mentioned that her husband still views her as a “hot chick,” and it’s hard to disagree with that assertion. At 75, Parton still dazzles in the Playboy bunny outfit and would still be a perfect fit for a cover. The singer’s look aside, the sentiment behind the gift is incredibly sweet. While she doesn’t share exactly how husband Carl Thomas Dean reacted, I think it’s fair to assume he was pleased with his gift.

The original Playboy cover featuring Dolly Parton hit shelves in October of 1978 and is arguably still one of the magazine’s most iconic shoots. Believe it or not, ahead of that shoot, Parton had reportedly turned down Hugh Hefner’s massive company a few times. This stemmed from her desire not to appear nude and, in time, Playboy agreed to the conditions.

In the years since, Dolly Parton has, on multiple occasions, expressed interest in appearing on the cover once again. However, the magazine discontinued its print issues last year. With this in mind, Parton’s recent photo shoot is really special.

Her birthday gift to her husband just further proves that Dolly Parton is still full of surprises. In the past year alone, fans have learned a number of things about the songstress. For instance, many were hyped when they discovered that her production company had a hand in bringing Buffy the Vampire Slayer to the small screen. Parton received equal praise when it was reported that she’d made a large donation to Vanderbilt University for COVID-19 research.

Needless to say, the world just doesn’t deserve Dolly Parton, as she continues to prove why she’s considered a national treasure by so many. And after her Playboy recreation, let’s hope this national treasure gets a shot at being on another high-profile magazine cover very soon.

Erik Swann
Senior Content Producer

Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.