Dolly Parton to Publish ‘Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones’

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Dolly Parton is publishing a new book, Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones, a beautifully illustrated celebration of her iconic sense of style through entertaining personal stories and 450 full-color photographs, including exclusive images from her private costume archive. The book, coming Oct. 19, 2023, via Ten Speed Press, is written with Holly George-Warren and curated by Rebecca Seaver.

From the publisher’s March 22 announcement: In Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones, the global superstar shares, for the first time, the full story behind her lifelong passion for fashion, including how she developed her own, distinctly “Dolly style,” which has defied convention and endeared her to fans around the world.

Featuring behind-the-scenes stories from Parton’s life and career, and the largest reveal of her private costume archive, this gorgeously photographed book spotlights her most unforgettable looks from the 1960s to now. The sky-high heels, famous wigs, bold makeup, eye-catching stage clothes—she shares them all. Along the way, Parton discusses memorable outfits from her past, from the clothes her mother would sew out of feed sacks (including her “Coat of Many Colors”) and the bold dresses and hairdos that shook up Nashville, to the bunny suit on the cover of Playboy, evening wear at Studio 54, costumes from her most famous film and TV roles, and the daring styles that continue to entertain and inspire today.

Inductee Dolly Parton performs onstage during the 37th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Microsoft Theater on Nov. 05, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)

The new book is part of another busy year for the beloved entertainer, who turned 77 on Jan. 19. The 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee will also be releasing her first rock album, featuring collaborations with such classic rock stars as Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks, John Fogerty, Joe Perry, and Pat Benatar.

Parton is among the most honored and revered female singer-songwriters of all time. She has won eleven Grammy Awards among 51 nominations, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1999, she was inducted as a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2020, she released the bestselling coffee table book Songteller: My Life in Lyrics. To date, Parton has donated over 200 million books to children around the world with her Imagination Library. With James Patterson, she co-authored the #1 New York Times bestseller, Run Rose Run.

Holly George-Warren is the award-winning author of seventeen books, including works on fashion, popular music history, and biographies, most recently one on Janis Joplin, Janis: Her Life and Music.

Rebecca Seaver is Parton’s director of archive services. The creative production specialist has been working for Parton since their early teens and has curated numerous museum exhibits for the music legend, most notably at Dollywood, the Grand Ole Opry, the Grammy Museum, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.