Inside $10m compound where reclusive Dolly Parton has hidden for a whole year: See
It’s the perfect 9 to 5 hideaway.
Dolly Parton has largely spent the last year shielding herself from the spotlight as she grappled with the death of her beloved husband and battled a string of her own health woes.
But the 80-year-old country icon sent fans into a tailspin last week when she revealed she was finally back and heading to Broadway with new musical about her life.
Now, exclusive aerial photos obtained by the Daily Mail offer a glimpse into exactly where the superstar has been holed up as she staged her big comeback, writing the music, book and serving as producer for DOLLY: A True Original Musical, which will open in December.
Parton, who was forced to cancel a planned Las Vegas residency earlier this year due to ill health, spends the bulk of her time living in a custom-built paradise on a staggering 63-acre compound in Brentwood, Tennessee.
The lavish estate, which she and her late husband Carl Dean snapped up for $400,000 way back in 1999, is estimated to be now worth roughly $10 million.
Country music legend Dolly Parton, 80, has been spending her time holed up in her lavish 63-acre compound in Brentwood, Tennessee
The sprawling estate features a handful of quirky elements, including a quaint church and large angel statues
The 9 to 5 legend broke cover on June 24, months after revealing she had been forced to cancel her planned Las Vegas residency earlier this year due to poor health
Named the Willow Lake Plantation, the sprawling property just south of Nashville is highly secluded and idyllic.
These rare images show some of the quirkier features of the property, including a quaint church, large angel statues and multiple luxury sheds that have been converted into sound and production studios over the years.
The main house, which boasts a picturesque balcony overlooking the massive compound, has also been adorned with a handful of chairs and benches crafted in the shape of colorful butterflies.
A towering American flag pole is clearly visible, too, over a tiny graveyard complete with three separate plaques.
Dolly and her husband, who died age 82 in March last year just a few weeks shy of their 59th wedding anniversary, never had children of their own.
Instead, the reclusive couple were devoted to their nieces and nephews, with Parton often referring to them and their children as her own grandkids and great-grandchildren.
The property features an entire gingerbread-themed playground for the youngsters, complete with an in-ground trampoline, slides, a see-saw, a huge colorful guitar and two large playhouses.
A large white van, once driven by her late husband, now also sits in the play area.
Named the Willow Lake Plantation, the sprawling estate south of Nashville is highly secluded and idyllic
Despite not having children of her own, Parton’s estate boasts two large gingerbread-themed playhouses. The singer has been vocal in the past about her devotion to nieces, nephews and their kids
The property features an entire gingerbread-themed playground for the youngsters, complete with an in-ground trampoline and the large white van once driven by her late husband
A handful of chairs crafted in the shape of colorful butterflies are clearly visible on the Jolene singer’s massive porch
Elsewhere, a towering American flag pole is clearly visible over a tiny graveyard complete with three separate plaques
Elsewhere on the property, multiple high-end cars are routinely parked – including a pink golf cart and bright pink Jeep.
Parton has only stepped out in public a handful of times as she battled a tumultuous and painful year that started with the death of her husband at age 82.
Months later, the singer disclosed she was battling issues with her immune and digestive systems.
Then, she made the heartbreaking announcement earlier this year that she was canceling her six-date residency, Dolly: Live in Las Vegas, at Caesars Palace’s Colosseum.
‘The good news is I’m responding really well to meds and treatments and I’m improving every day,’ Parton said at the time.
‘Now, the bad news is, it’s gonna take me a little while before I’m up to stage performance level because some of the meds and treatments make me a little bit “swimmy headed” as my grandma used to say.
‘And of course, I can’t be dizzy carrying around banjos, guitars and such on five-inch heels. And you know that I’m going to be wearing them!’
Parton has only stepped out in public a handful of times as she battled a tumultuous and painful year that started with the death of her husband Carl Dean at the age of 82
Among the quirkier features smack bang in the center of the property is a butterfly-shaped bench
Multiple high-end cars are routinely parked across the property, including a pink golf cart and bright pink Jeep
The estate also boasts a huge stable in one corner, as well as multiple luxury sheds that have been converted into sound and production studios over the years
Dolly Parton and her late husband, Carl Dean, snapped up the property for $400,000 way back in 1999. It is now estimated to be worth $10 million
After holing up recovering for several months, Parton then dropped news of her next career move this week when she announced that DOLLY: A True Original Musical is officially headed to New York following a sold-out run in her Nashville hometown last summer.
Parton, who is only a Tony Award away from EGOT status – meaning entertainers who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award – wrote the music and served as producer of the rags-to-riches show helmed by Tony-winning director Bartlett Sher and choreographed by Mandy Moore.
‘Now, this isn’t a story about sparkle and shine on the outside,’ Parton said in a video announcing the show.
‘It’s about where I really come from, what I’ve lived, what I’ve lost, what I’ve loved and how I’ve found my way and told it in my own words and through the music that’s been part of me every step of the journey.’
After previews in December, the musical’s official opening night is scheduled for January 19, which will be Parton’s 81st birthday.