Secret Dolly Parton autobiography sparks $13M bidding war

A secret memoir by Dolly Parton has been sold for $13 million following a fierce and competitive bidding war between publishing houses.

According to exclusive information obtained by Page Six Hollywood, the book by the queen of country music was acquired by Grand Central Publishing, the same publishing house that has released bestsellers by David Baldacci, Nicholas Sparks, Harlan Coben, Sally Field, Caroline Kennedy and Scott Turow, CE Report quotes ANSA.

Dolly Parton died at the age of 80 in Nashville last August.

The publishing project could be part of the plans she had personally made for the period following her death.

It is unclear what subjects are covered in the memoir, which was sold by literary agency Folio, the same agency that had previously represented the singer for her 2023 book, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics.

Sources told Page Six Hollywood that when the agency informed publishers it had received a $12 million offer, "nobody believed it, so they all stopped bidding".

However, Grand Central subsequently increased its offer and secured the publishing rights.

For comparison, Britney Spears sold her autobiography in 2022 for $15 million, while Bruce Springsteen received more than $10 million for his memoir in 2016.

It remains unclear whether the new autobiography will also address the health problems Parton experienced privately during the final period of her life.

At the time of her death, the fortune of the singer behind hits such as 9 to 5 and Jolene was estimated at $450 million.

Dolly did not have children but left behind a very large family.

Behind the scenes of her estate management, several legal disputes have emerged between the star's relatives and her management team, particularly involving her nephew and former head of security, Bryan Seaver.

Last week, her niece Danielle Parton was appointed the new ambassador for the brand associated with the singer's artistic legacy.

Photo: Instagram/dollyparton