Getting “Peed On” in Bed Was the Best Thing in Winter: The Tragic Story of Dolly Parton’s Childhood

It might seem like this beautiful singer with impeccable makeup and elegant clothes has never experienced any financial struggles. The truth, however, is quite the opposite.

Parton was raised with 11 siblings in the Smoky Mountains, and her family lived in severe poverty. Her life was completely different before she became the global superstar she is today. In this article, we’ll tell you one of the most inspiring rags-to-riches stories.

She already had “her own baby” at 9 years old.

Dolly and her 11 siblings had a rough childhood. Each older child had to take care of the younger one, and Larry Parton was her responsibility when she was only 9 years old.

“My mother used to say, ’This one’s gonna be your baby,’” she recollects. “That meant that you got to take extra care of it. You have got to get up with it at night and rock it back and forth.” Larry passed away 4 days after his birth, and it deeply affected Dolly, and she’s never fully come to terms with the pain.

It was always cold in the house.

Winter was particularly hard for the family, “Daddy wouldn’t let us get up until he’d built a fire and had it going. I remember us saying, ‘Daddy, is the fire hot?’ It wasn’t uncommon for snow to get into the house through the cracks in the walls. It would get so cold that the family would have to thaw water to use from the water bucket in the kitchen.”

They wet the bed to warm up.

Up to 3 or 4 children would sleep together each night. When someone wet the bed, Dolly wouldn’t even change the sheets during the night.

She explained, “That was the only warm thing we knew in the winter time. That was almost a pleasure to get peed on because it was so cold. If you kept the air out from under the cover, the pee didn’t get so cold. When you started fanning that cover, then it got bad, cold.”

They had a pan of water instead of a bathtub.

Bathing or showering wasn’t available to the family as they lived in a one-bedroom cabin without electricity or running water. The only thing they had was a pan of water. During the winter, Parton and her siblings had to wash themselves every day because they would wet the bed and then wear the same clothes to school. The star says, “I had to take a bath every night to be clean, ’cause the kids peed on me every night.”

She almost lost 3 of her toes.

Even Dolly’s injuries were quite remarkable, much like her life as a whole. Rather than just scraping her knee, Parton’s injuries almost resulted in the loss of toes.

When she was 6 or 7 years old, she nearly lost 3 of them after jumping onto a broken mason jar. Her mother acted quickly and sewed her toes back on, using kerosene as an anesthetic. It may sound terrifying, but her toes healed, and she still uses them to walk today.

She loves her family and childhood.

Despite the cramped living conditions, her house still holds a special place in Parton’s heart. Her mother, Avie Lee, managed to take care of the large family while instilling in them the value of making the most of what they had. Even though her father, Robert Lee, was illiterate, she fondly recalls him as one of the most intelligent people she’s ever met, who worked hard to support his family. Her father even offered a bag of grain to a doctor to deliver Dolly when they couldn’t afford the medical fees.

Her music career took off.

When Dolly Parton was 10 years old, she started showcasing her singing and guitar skills on TV and radio shows. In 1959, at the age of 13, she was introduced to the stage at the Grand Ole Opry by Johnny Cash. Her performance was well received. After graduating from high school, Dolly headed to Nashville, where her successful music career took off.

She’s grateful for everything she’s experienced.

Dolly learned to be grateful, thankful, and show empathy to everyone. The star says she was never intimidated by wealthy people and always felt she could belong anywhere, even though she didn’t always know how to hold a spoon correctly.

“I just never felt out of place, because I was always self-contained and comfortable with who I was. I accept everybody for who they are. I’m not a judgmental person. I love everybody. I really do.”

Despite so many struggles Dolly looks as fresh as a daisy. We discovered how she manages to stay so youthful at 77 years old and her secrets are genius.