Steve Summers

Steven Kent Summers is an American costumer and creative director for Dolly Parton. He has been styling Dolly Parton for more than 30 years.

Early life and education Summers was raised in Harriman, Tennessee. At age 2, he lost 75 percent of his hearing as a result of the mumps and is legally deaf. In his twenties, he worked as general manager at a retail store. He then went on to attend college to study English where he also sang with a group called the Celebration Singers.

Career In 1991, Summers auditioned as a singer/dancer at Dollywood and Opryland, and after offers from both signed on to Dollywood. He eventually became one of Dolly Parton's onstage dance partners.

As creative director and stylist, Summers and his team create up to 300 ensembles for Parton each year. All of the clothing is customized, including the shoes Parton wears, and is kept in a 50,000 square foot warehouse that stores archival pieces going back to 1964. embellishing Parton's guitars and creating costume jewelry.

In 2020, Summers made his directorial debut with the "When Life is Good Again" music video, featuring Dolly Parton. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Summers helped produce a series of virtual interviews and other content with Parton. He also was a producer for her 2022 holiday special "Dolly Parton's Magic Mountain Christmas."

Personal life Summers was married for 23 years beginning in his twenties, and has three children.