Dolly Parton's most iconic quotes as she's praised for her timeless gems after passing away aged 80

Dolly Parton recorded more than 1000 songs but she also gave fans hundreds of iconic quotes on life, love and work.

The legendary country singer's passing was confirmed Tuesday in an Instagram video posted by her nephew Bryan Seaver, prompting an outpouring of grief among A-listers and her millions of fans worldwide.

And Dolly's loyal following soon began sharing her many pearls of wisdom in their many tributes.

The singer, actress and philanthropist, 80, was known for her fierce wit and throughout her six decades in the limelight she offered timeless gems on everything from the importance of 'good lighting, good doctors, and good makeup' to how to advance in your career – 'I never tried quitting, and I never quit trying.'

Here are some of her most enduring and iconic quotes. 

On her looks 

'It costs a lot of money to look this cheap'

'People always ask me how long it takes to do my hair. I don't know, I'm never there.'

'I'm not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm not dumb – and I'm not blonde either.'

'I describe my look as a blend of Mother Goose, Cinderella and the local hooker!' 

'People say how you stay looking so young? I say, well, good lighting, good doctors, and good makeup.' 

'A lot of people have said I'd have probably done better in my career if I hadn't looked so cheap and gaudy. But I dress to be comfortable for me, and you shouldn't be blamed because you want to look pretty.'

'Those people who wake up and they're just beautiful, they're just born that way. Well, that ain't me. I gotta work for everything I've got.'

'I have pretty good skin considering my age, and I think a lot of it is mineral oil and bacon grease.'

'I'm not like a real person. I love being artificial. I think there's a little magic in the fact that I'm so totally real, but look so artificial at the same time.'

'I am a self-made woman, and I have the doctor bills to prove it.'

 On love and relationships

'I often get myself in love trouble because I'm so passionate; I love so much and so deep.'

'Any relationship is like a house with an upstairs: it's got two stories.' 

'Love is like a butterfly: as soft and gentle as a feather, many-colored and full of cheer.'

'I think everyone should be with who they love. I don't want to be controversial or stir up a bunch of trouble but people are going to love who they are going to love. I think gay couples should be allowed to marry. They should suffer just like us heterosexuals.'

'My weaknesses have always been food and men – in that order.' 

Speaking about her husband Carl Dean: 'It was love at first sight. I see people who turn my head all the time. It’s just that nobody’s turned my head around as much as him.'

On her career

'My songs are like my children – I expect them to support me when I'm old.'  

'Find out who you are and do it on purpose.' 

'Don't get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.' 

'I never tried quitting, and I never quit trying.' 

'Above everything else I've done, I've always said I've had more guts than I've got talent.'

'I think in a way, my music has been almost like my ministry. Hopefully, it's healing in some ways, just having a good sense of humor to be able to lift people up, to have songs that people can relate to.'

'I'm not going to limit myself just because people won't accept the fact that I can do something else.'

'I always say I've dreamed myself into a corner. I've got to keep all those dreams alive. Every dream spins off into some something else.'

'You'll never do a whole lot unless you're brave enough to try.'

On the secret to happiness 

'The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.' 

'You have to work at being happy. Some people work at being miserable. If I wake up in the morning and don't feel great or things are not great, I try to think about what I can do to make things work better, rather than just falling into that deep hole, because then you just go deeper and deeper.'

'If you see someone without a smile today, give 'em yours.'

'If you're feeling low, don't despair. The sun has a sinking spell every night, but it comes back up every morning.'

'They think I'm simple-minded because I seem to be happy. Why shouldn't I be happy? I have everything I ever wanted and more. Maybe I am simple-minded. Maybe that's the key: simple.'

On her legacy

'I hope that a lot of my songs may last that long. And I hope I'll be remembered as somebody that tried to do some good in the world and left, you know, a few good things.' 

'I'll be like Bob Hope, touring when I'm 100. I love being busy … I will never retire. I hope to fall dead in the middle of some great event or some great song I'm singing. Then they'll say, 'Oh well, she went happy and doing what she loves.' 

'I feel like I’m closest to God when I write. A great line will just come to me, and I’ll go, ‘Hey, thank You, Lord. I know I didn’t think of that.’ At the end of the day, I hope that I will be remembered as a good songwriter. The songs are my legacy.'