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Dolly Parton used to party at Studio 54 and stuck with Andy Warhol because they didn't drink or take drugs 'too much'

Nov 28, 2023, 07:35 IST
Business Insider
Dolly Parton and Andy Warhol in 1977.Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images
  • Dolly Parton became close with Andy Warhol while frequenting Studio 54 in the 1970s.
  • Parton said she and Warhol didn't drink or "do too many drugs," so they bonded at the club.
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As Dolly Parton's fame continued to rise in the 1970s, she began to make many celebrity friends — including Andy Warhol.

In her book "Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones," released in October, Parton revealed that she and the artist became close while partying together at Studio 54, the iconic Manhattan nightclub.

Studio 54, which is now a Broadway theater, was the place to be seen as disco took over New York City. It was also exclusive and private, making it a hard-partying haven for celebrities.

While Parton was among the stars, she bonded with Warhol because they both "didn't do too many drugs or drink too much alcohol," she wrote.

"Andy and I would mostly just sit on the couch and watch all these crazy people out there doing their thing," Parton wrote. "We really got to know each other, just sitting on that couch."

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"Studio 54 was just full of energy. Everybody was having a good time," she added. "We'd just sit and watch the people party."

Dolly Parton at her Studio 54 party in 1978.Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

Parton said she met many of her new famous friends through Sandy Gallin, who became her manager in 1977. He introduced her to the likes of Calvin Klein and Diane von Furstenberg.

"We hung out together," Parton recalled in her book. "I got acquainted with all these famous people, and they just loved me and my polyester. They didn't care. We'd go to Studio 54, and they would be up dancing, doing whatever."

Parton wore a sparkly black chiffon dress to her Studio 54 party in 1978. Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

Nights at Studio 54 also served as style inspiration for Parton, although she said most of the crowd was "too high fashion for me."

"I would sometimes see outfits I liked, and I would incorporate certain pieces into something I'd wear," she wrote. "Or if I liked the way a certain skirt flips out here, I'd think, 'Ooh, I need a little skirt that does that.'"

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Parton also became a huge fan of von Furstenberg's iconic wrap dress.

"It's just a great little dress," Parton wrote. "Those dresses are so convenient, and they're very feminine — and very sexy. They make your butt look good. All that stuff that some of us girls like to conceal is camouflaged by the way the skirt falls."

"I probably wore one of those at Studio 54," she added. "To this day, I love that dress, and that style is still popular. If you're a designer, that's the kind of fashion piece you want to design — something that'll live that long."

Parton and Diane von Furstenberg at a Calvin Klein fashion show in 1994.Thomas Iannaccone/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images

As she continued to frequent Studio 54, Parton said she became good friends with Steve Rubell, who ran the club with Ian Schrager. In 1978, the club even threw her a birthday party.

"Steve filled the place with hay bales. They did a whole country scene with cows and a beautiful white horse too," Parton wrote. "Everybody dressed in country-western outfits, but I was wearing sparkly black chiffon that night."

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"I had a lot of gay fans then, and they came to my party in their little country-western getups," she added. "We were just having a big ol' time."

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