Dolly Parton can credit her success to her talent and unstoppable work ethic. But Parton also has made a career out of not doing what other people expect her to do, and following instead her own internal compass. We found three times Dolly Parton broke the rules and won.

Dolly Parton Wore a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Outfit

Dolly Parton shocked fans in November of 2023 when she emerged in a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader outfit. Parton wore it to help kick off The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign, during the Thanksgiving Day game between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders, surprising the world when she came out in short shorts and a daring top.

Just a couple of months away from her 78th birthday, Parton knew people would have plenty to say about her outfit. She just didn’t care. Even her husband Carl Dean (who passed away earlier this year), had questions.

“He said, ‘Those shorts were a little too short.’ I said, ‘Jealous?’” Parton recalls to People. “And I said, ‘They weren’t as short as the other girls!’ He was just being funny. I think he thought — because everybody’s making a to-do over it — he thought, well, maybe you shouldn’t be showing your butt at that age. But anyway, he got a kick out of it too.”

Dolly Parton Left Porter Wagoner

Dolly Parton earned a coveted gig in 1967, when Porter Wagoner invited her to be part of his popular The Porter Wagoner Show. At the time, Parton’s career was just getting started, with the show giving her a big boost.

Parton agreed to stay with Wagoner for a couple of years, ultimately staying for seven. In those years, Parton’s career skyrocketed, and she was ready to fully pursue her own career, without being tethered to Wagoner or his TV show. Wagoner understandably was upset by the news, trying to persuade her to stay. Fortunately, Parton left, although not before giving Wagoner a parting gift. She wrote “I Will Always Love You” as a farewell to her former boss.

“I wanted to have big-time management,” Parton explains, adding that she also wanted to be in movies. “I wanted to do everything that a body could do as an entertainer. … I thought, ‘Well, if I’m gonna be a star, why not be a big star?”

Dolly Parton Refused To Let Elvis Presley Sing One of Her Songs

Parton had a big hit in 1974 with “I Will Always Love You”, but she could have had an even bigger hit. At the time, Elvis Presley was a big star, so when he said he wanted to record “I Will Always Love You” as well, it seemed like a no-brainer, and likely would have been for anyone but Parton.

Presley wanted to have half of the publishing in order for him to record “I Will Always Love You”. For Parton, that was a deal-breaker and a heartbreaking decision as well.

“I cried all night. I mean, it was like the worst thing. You know, it’s like, ‘Oh, my God … Elvis Presley,’” Parton recounts (via the LA Times). “And other people were saying, ‘You’re nuts. It’s Elvis Presley. I mean, hell, I’d give him all of it.’ I said, ‘I can’t do that. Something in my heart says, ‘Don’t do that.’”

Parton is now grateful she stood by her decision. But when Whitney Houston recorded it for the 1992 film, The Bodyguard, Parton says she “made enough money to buy Graceland.”