Dolly Parton Once Stuck The White Stripes’ Jack White With an ‘Outrageous’ Dinner Bill
Dolly Parton and Jack White have always had a lot of good things to say about one another. They have a mutual appreciation for each other’s music and always have sung one another’s praises. Parton loves White, but she admitted that she once accidentally left him with a massive restaurant bill.
When Dolly Parton was young, her family ate food they could find near their home
Parton grew up in the Smoky Mountains. Her home was remote, and her family was poor, so they frequently ate whatever they could get nearby. This included frogs and fish from the nearby river, as well as squirrels, rabbits, and bears.
As she grew up, her palate expanded, but she still appreciates Southern cooking. She told The New York Times that her favorite meal to serve guests is roast pork, green beans, turnip greens, and fried okra.
“I can’t help it. The greasier the food, the better,” she explained.
Parton explained that she’s willing to try anything, but her preference is for what she considers ugly foods.
“I don’t like pretty food,” she said. “The way I see it, if the food’s too pretty, it ain’t too good.”
The White Stripes’ Jack White picked up Parton’s big tab
Proving that she’ll try most anything, Parton once sampled the entire menu while at a restaurant.
“We thought we’d order everything so we’d know what to order next time we went,” she explained to The Daily Mail.
According to Parton, White was at the same restaurant and took care of her bill.
“Jack was there and he picked up our tab!” she said. “I never felt so bad in my life because that bill must have been outrageous.”
Still, the hefty tab didn’t impact White’s appreciation for Parton.
“I think Dolly Parton, like Loretta Lynn, is one of those artists who has tended to be under-estimated,” he told The Guardian. “Sometimes it takes the passage of time to appreciate their greatness but in the end they win because their music lasts.”
Parton feels similarly about White. In a separate interview with The Guardian, she expressed that she thinks The White Stripes’ cover of Jolene is one of the greatest ever.
“Well, I love him to death,” she said. “I had a chance to have dinner with Jack in LA not long ago and we talked about the possibility of someday down the road that we may get together to do something. I haven’t had time to sit down and really focus with someone else on an album. But he would be someone wonderful. And I think we would make some beautiful music together.”
Dolly Parton has a number of famous friends, including Jack White
Parton’s ebullience has earned her a number of famous friends beyond White. She’s fostered relationships with Reba McEntire, Miley Cyrus, and Kenny Rogers.
“She is profound and she has a really, really huge heart, and she’s really smart and deeply spiritual,” her 9 to 5 co-star Jane Fonda told The New Yorker.
