Courtesy of the Natchitoches Parish Journal
Long before she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame or celebrated globally as a cultural icon, Dolly Parton made an indelible mark on the brick streets and riverbanks of Natchitoches.
When filming began in the summer of 1988 for Steel Magnolias, the film adaptation of Natchitoches native Robert Harling’s beloved play, Parton brought larger-than-life warmth to the role of Truvy Jones. Behind the styling chair of Truvy’s beauty salon, Parton captured the sharp humor, resilient spirit, and deep community bonds that define small-town Louisiana life.
For local residents who watched the production take over the historic district, Parton was more than a visiting Hollywood star. Between takes at the historic home on Jefferson Street and scenes shot across town, her trademark hospitality and down-to-earth charm left a lasting imprint on the community that remains vibrant decades later.
Parton died Tuesday at the age of 80, leaving an indelible mark on millions of fans worldwide and an enduring place in the heart of Natchitoches.
By Corey Poole
When Dolly Parton came to Natchitoches in 1988 to film Steel Magnolias, the city became a temporary home for Hollywood stars, movie crews and people hoping to catch a glimpse of the production. For some Natchitoches residents, however, the memories that remain nearly four decades later have little to do with the cameras.
They remember Parton herself.
They remember her sitting and talking with people between scenes. They remember her stepping onto the field at Northwestern State University to perform “9 to 5” with the marching band. They remember her taking the time to speak with a young fan and later, picking up the phone to wish that same girl a Merry Christmas.
Following news of Parton’s passing Aug. 25, Natchitoches residents Jackie Reed Horton, Bill Brent, and Coley and Sharon Gahagan reflected on the time Parton spent in the city and the impressions she left behind.
For Horton, those memories began on the Steel Magnolias set. She served as Parton’s stand-in for scenes filmed in a replica of Truvy’s Beauty Spot. While the cameras were being prepared, Horton would stand where Parton would later stand so the grips and lighting crew could adjust the large lights and camera angles.
“It was really very interesting to see how they did all of that,” Horton recalled.
The production had recreated the beauty shop in remarkable detail, including the wallpaper. Horton watched as crews moved pieces of the set around to accommodate the large movie cameras and achieve the shots director Herbert Ross wanted.
But what Horton remembers most was getting to know Parton.
She described Parton as extremely friendly and down to earth. While other stars often returned to their trailers between scenes, Horton said Parton frequently remained on set, visiting and talking with people.
“She would sit there and talk with you,” Horton said.
One of those conversations resulted in a connection between Parton and a local nail technician. Parton noticed Horton’s acrylic nails and asked who did them. She had her assistant get the technician’s number, and Horton said Jennifer Threadgill subsequently went to do Parton’s nails while she was in Natchitoches.
Horton also remembered hearing Ross comment on Parton’s professionalism. She said he noted that Parton was always among the first people on set, already dressed, prepared and familiar with her lines.
While Horton experienced Parton on the movie set, Brent remembers helping bring her to Northwestern State’s football field.
Brent was the university’s band director when Steel Magnolias came to Natchitoches. As production got underway, NSU became closely intertwined with the movie. Thousands of people came through the university during casting for extras, while the band room, choir room and orchestra room were used by the production for rehearsals before a sound stage was constructed.
Brent said the idea eventually emerged to make the first home football game of the 1988 season a tribute to Steel Magnolias. Once Parton agreed to a surprise performance, Brent found an arranger to prepare the song “9 to 5” in the key she requested, and the band made a cassette tape for her to practice with.
His understanding was that Parton practiced with the recording in the car on her way to the game. When she arrived, a large Lincoln drove onto the Astroturf. Parton stepped out carrying a purple and white pom-pom and joined the band, which was met with thunderous applause and cheering.
“It was a huge success,” Brent said. For the members of the band, the moment became a memory they would carry for the rest of their lives.
For Coley and Sharon Gahagan, their memories of Parton are tied directly to their Williams Avenue home.
Their house was used for the Christmas party scene in Steel Magnolias, when the women gather together in support of Sally Field’s character.
The Gahagans remember the production arriving at their home with an almost overwhelming level of preparation. Before filming began, crews descended on the house to determine whether it would work for the production. Once it was selected, the house was transformed for the movie. Five Christmas trees were fully decorated inside, while the production meticulously arranged the decorations, food and other details.
The only problem was the weather.
The movie was filmed during the heat of August and September, but portrayed winter scenes and events. A large air-conditioning truck was brought to the Gahagan’s property, with ductwork running into the house. During filming, the lights would come on and the air conditioning would shut off. The process would be repeated over and over until the scene was captured to the director’s satisfaction.
For the Gahagans, though, one of the most meaningful memories of Parton involved someone who was not part of the movie at all. A young girl named Jeannie Scott, a family friend, was a devoted Parton fan. She would visit the Gahagans’ home during filming and had created a scrapbook filled with newspaper articles and other memorabilia from the production.
Parton took notice of her.
She would sit with Jeannie and talk to her, compliment her and make her feel included. At one point, Parton signed Jeannie’s scrapbook.
But the story did not end when filming in Natchitoches was over.
The following Christmas, the telephone rang at the Scott family’s home. The caller asked if Jeannie was there and identified herself as Dolly Parton. Jeannie’s mother initially thought someone was playing a cruel joke.
However, it truly was Dolly Parton and she was calling to wish Jeannie a Merry Christmas.
For the Gahagans, that phone call has remained one of the clearest examples of the person they remember.
“She was very, very gracious,” Coley said. “Very kind.”
Sharon remembered how Parton consistently took the time to speak with people, including those working behind the scenes and the local residents who encountered her during filming. That same sentiment runs through the memories of all three interviews.
Natchitoches had become a movie set, and Parton was one of the biggest stars in it. But to the people who encountered her, she was also the woman who stopped to talk, asked about someone’s nails, thanked a college marching band by sending them flowers, signed a scrapbook and made a Christmas phone call.
For Horton, Brent and the Gahagans, those moments have remained long after the cameras stopped rolling. The sets were dismantled, the stars went home and Steel Magnolias became part of Natchitoches history.
But for those who were there, Dolly Parton left something more personal behind.
She left memories of kindness.
And those are the memories Natchitoches residents are carrying with them as they remember her.
