"I'M HERE TO GET MY CRACK DONE!", she said.

Back in the 1980's, Dolly Parton did occasionally go without a wig, believe it or not. She and I had the same Nashville hair stylist, whose charming little salon was right on Music Row. Several times over the years Dolly came breezing in while I was there for my own 'cut and do'. She always entered happy and giggling, and as she came through the door, would chirp, "Hi, ya'll! I'm here to get my crack done!" What she meant was that she was there to have her roots dyed because her natural color was showing through where her hair was parted, but calling it her 'crack' obviously got a bigger laugh. Funny lady!

This was years after the famous Porter Waggoner and Dolly Parton partnership split in 1974 -- which, by the way, had inspired Dolly's biggest-ever hit song, "I Will Always Love You". By the '80s, Dolly and Porter had made up and were back to using the same stylist, whose name was Diane. Having the 'right hair' was very important in those days, so maybe the urgent need they both had to go to the same stylist was the reason they finally made up. Hah! Anway, Porter had a pair of big, very hairy Golden Retriever dogs that went everywhere he did, so they were right there in the salon with him every time. Two 80-plus-pound panting dogs lounging under the hairdresser's chair and right underfoot for Diane made it quite a challenge for her to get those hairdos of Porter's done up juuuust right. It was pretty funny watching her 'do Porter's do' while sidestepping his pooches' tongues, toes, and tails.

Diane was great. She was full of fun and was very talented at creating the looks of the day. She gave me the gift of styling my hair for my wedding in 1985. It didn't look like Dolly's. lol

Oh- have I ever mentioned that my husband, Jon, and I got married on the top deck of a riverboat while going down the Cumberland River through Nashville -- during a lightning storm and tornado watch? That is a story for another day, though. It ends with Tanya Tucker doing a strip tease dance on a table at our wedding reception. Stay tuned.


Dolly being Dolly



Porter and one of his dogs


Porter and Dolly in early days - setting the global standard for bouffantes and pompadours