A Style of My Own

I was Dolly Parton's biggest fan, but I learned I could also be true to me.

My Hero

On September 17, 1977, I was standing in the wings of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, about to sing two songs in my first appearance at the mother church of country music. I was 22 and had dreamed of being a star ever since first grade back in Kiowa, Oklahoma. Growing up on my family's cattle ranch, I'd competed in rodeos and sang in a trio with my older brother Pake and my little sister Susie. It seemed like every day had brought me one step closer to this moment.

I was wearing a patchwork skirt, a denim shirt and a handkerchief around my neck. And though I was nervous as a thin-skinned calf on branding day, I was ready. Then a man walked up to me and said, "Reba, we're going to have to cut you down to one song."

I asked, "Why?"

And he said, "Well, Dolly's just made a surprise appearance."

My knees buckled. "Dolly Parton's in the building?" I said. Just then, she came floating by, wearing this beautiful black chiffon pantsuit with rhinestone butterflies on it and her hair all big. Man, she was just what a star ought to be. After that, I didn't care if I sang or not. I'd just seen Dolly Parton in the flesh.

Dolly wasn't just the reigning queen of Nashville -- she was my hero. I've been a fan since I first heard her on "The Porter Wagoner Show" back in 1967. So many of the songs she'd written -- "Coat of Many Colors," "My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy," and "Gypsy, Joe, and Me" -- brought back so many childhood memories. When I went to basketball camp and entertained the kids, I sang those songs.

They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery, and, boy, I was shameless with Dolly. I studied her. She can get real soft and very emotional, then louder to prove her point. I tried to imitate her trills. And the way she played the guitar! Dolly was also a businesswoman who branched out into movies and television. Looking back, I see she was a model for me even there.

She was a strong woman who'd had a rough childhood in East Tennessee. Her family was poor, but she was always striving to overcome hardships and improve her life. She wanted to see just what all she could do if she worked real hard -- and I did too.

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