> Does anyone know a way of finding out who Dolly Parton's backup singers
> (female) were during the 1970s and 1980s?
She tends to use the same background singers live as she does on her records.
Her brother-in-law, Richard Dennison, appears often.
As for female singers, Anita Ball and Lea Jane Berinati have appeared on
several albums over the years, but I'm not sure if they sang live with her
or not.
When she performed in Edmonton in 1985 (with Kenny Rogers), her background
singers were: Mary Ellen Quinn and Richard Dennison.
When I saw her in the early '90s in Calgary I believe her female
background singer was Jennifer O'Brian (and The Mighty Fine Band).
Hope this helps -- a complete list of female background singers would be a
long one -- she's put together several bands: Gypsy Fever, The Mighty Fine
Band, and a lot of different pick-up bands.