We know about Dolly Parton's amazing music career, mysterious husband, and vivacious personality. However, what we didn't know until now is how she begins the day. It turns out that along with her famous "cup of ambition," Dolly has a go-to breakfast to start each morning right.
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Dolly Parton has written countless incredible songs, from the classic "9 to 5" to the catchy numbers in her "A Holly Dolly Christmas" album. She also owns Dollywood, a theme park full of rides, country and bluegrass concerts, and even delicious food. Over the last year, Parton has even helped out with the covid-19 vaccine.
Dolly Parton's Morning Routine
Getty Images/Jason Kempin
As Dolly Parton shares with Wall Street Journal Magazine, our favorite country music star doesn't need much sleep to be the successful, energized person we all adore. She wakes up at 3 in the morning every day, no matter when she goes to bed!
"Even when I'm working late on shows and concerts, I can wake up early," she said. "I just don't require a lot of sleep!"
The 74-year-old often gets about five or six hours, but she can make it work just fine with only three. After a few hours of beauty sleep, Dolly Parton wakes up and gets ready for the day. From the very start of her morning, she's ready to go. As she told RuPaul for the cover of Marie Claire, she wears high heels every day, as they help her feel like herself and allow her to reach tall cabinets.
While rocking her heels, Dolly prepares breakfast for herself and her husband Carl Dean. She often makes milk gravy and biscuits for her husband, but typically goes for a lighter meal to start her day. Parton's milk gravy recipe from Today.com involves heavy whipping cream, whole milk, black pepper, flour, salt, thyme, and biscuits and sausage patties for serving.
A Go-To Breakfast To Start the Day
For herself, Parton is partial to homemade egg salad, which she'll enjoy with tomato on toast. Dolly Parton tries to keep her breakfast light, explaining "I just watch moderation for the most part," she said. "I have a tendency to gain weight because I'm so short and because I have a farmer's daughter's appetite."
However, if Dolly Parton is treating herself, she'll sometimes start the day with a bagel and cream cheese, cucumbers and tomatoes. She seems to have her routine down, and paired with her down-to-earth work ethic, positive attitude and trust in God, we can see how she became the legend she is today.
An openly spiritual person, Dolly Parton says "I pray every day that God will put all the right things, all the right people in my life, and take all the wrong things, all the wrong people out, and guide me," she added. "And I have my cup of ambition."
Always Ready to Go!
Getty Images/Larry Hulst
Along with having her morning routine down pat, Dolly Parton is also an expert on doing her own makeup, and you'll never catch her without it on! In fact, Parton goes to bed with a full face of makeup, so that no matter what happens, she'll look her best.
"I usually try to keep my makeup on at night," she said. "Because I never know if there's going to be an earthquake or a tornado or a storm and I'm going to have to go out in the middle of the night!"
Throughout the day or evening, she does efficient touch-ups, fixing it to fit the moment at hand. "If I'm going out at night, I'll just add a little more shadow, a little more glitter, redder or brighter lipstick, she said. "I'm so used to doing my own makeup and hair I can do it really fast."
Even throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Dolly never stopped looking fabulous.
"I don't wear sweatpants," she said. "I have my own little house clothes, like a little dress-type teddy, a long teddy, then I have a little jacket or shirt to match if I get cold. I call them my baby clothes because they're soft like a baby. But I don't wear sweat clothes."
Dolly Parton is one-of-a-kind in so many ways, and her daily routine reflects that. I don't know about you, but I definitely need more than three hours of sleep to be functional, and you'll never catch me wearing heels as I make breakfast!
This post was originally published on June 3, 2021.
READ MORE: Dolly Parton's Baking Mixes Are Inspired by Her Southern Family Recipes
