Dolly Parton is a cultural icon whose powerful voice and songwriting skills have made her popular on both country and pop charts for decades.
Dolly was one of 12 children.
After graduation, she moved to Nashville to pursue music and it all started with country star Porter Wagoner.
She later embarked on a solo career that was marked by hits such as "Joshua," "Jolene," "The Bargain Store," "I Will Always Love You," "Here You Come Again," "9 to 5," and " Islands in the Stream,” and many more.
A highly accomplished singer/songwriter known for thoughtful storytelling and distinctive vocals, she has won many awards and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
She has also acted in such films, “9 to 5" And ""Steel Magnolias", and opened her Dollywood Theme Park in 1986.
Parton continues to record music and tour regularly.
early life
Country music icon and actress Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on January 19, 1946 in Locust Ridge, Tennessee.
Parton grew up in a poor family. She was one of 12 children and money has always been a problem for her family. Her first exposure to music came from family members, starting with her mother, who sang and played the guitar.
At an early age, she also learned about music while performing at church.
Parton received her first guitar from a relative and soon began writing her own songs.
At age 10, she began performing professionally, appearing on local TV and radio shows in Knoxville. Parton made his Grand Ole Opry debut three years later.
After pursuing a career in music, she moved to Nashville after graduating from high school.
Porter Wagoner and Solo Success
Dolly's singing career began to develop in 1967. Around this time, she collaborated with Porter Wagoner on the show The Porter Wagoner Show.
Parton and Wagoner became a popular duo and recorded numerous country hits together. True, a lot was done because of her slender curves (as Wagoner said in an interview), petite stature and real personality, which misled a thoughtful, forward-thinking artist with a strong business person.
From the very beginning of her career, Parton defended the rights to publish her songs, which brought her millions of royalties.
Parton's work with Wagoner also landed her a contract with RCA Records. After several charting singles, Parton scored her first country hit in 1971 with "Joshua," an inspired track about two lonely figures who find love.
More number one hits followed in the mid-70s, including "Jolene", a haunting single in which a woman begs another beautiful woman not to take her man, and "I Will Always Love You", a tribute to Wagoner, lyrics about how they broke up (in a professional sense).
Hits from other countries of this era included "Love Is Like A Butterfly", the provocative "Discount Store", the spiritual "Seeker" and the driving "All I Can Do".
For her wide range of remarkable work, she received the Country Music Award for Best Female Vocalist in 1975 and 1976.
In 1977, Dolly wrote a song for one of her "Here, Come Back!" The song reached the top of the country charts and also peaked at number 3 on the pop charts, as well as marking the songwriter's first Grammy Award.
More emotional No. 1 country hits followed, such as “It's All Wrong, But It's Alright,” “Heartbreaker” and “Starting Over Again,” songs written by disco star Donna Summer.
Film debut and No. 1 hit: "From 9 to 5"
Parton reached the pinnacle of success around the 1980s. Not only did she co-star with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the 1980 comedy 9 to 5, which marked her film debut, but she also contributed to the main soundtrack.
The title track, with one of the most memorable opening lines in popular music history, proved to be another number one hit for Dolly on the pop and country charts, earning her an Oscar nomination. She then starred with Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas in 1982, which helped introduce a new generation of her song "I Will Always Love You".
Around this time, Parton began to develop in a new direction. She opened her own Dollywood Theme Park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee in 1986.
The amusement park remains a popular tourist destination to this day.
'I Will Always Love You'
Over the years, Parton has opened many other successful projects. She recorded the Grammy Award-winning album Trio with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt in 1987.
In 1992, her song "I Will Always Love You" was recorded by Whitney Houston for the film The Bodyguard.
Houston's version took Dolly Parton's song into a new stratosphere of popularity, where it stayed on the pop charts for 14 weeks and became one of the best-selling singles of all time.
Then in 1993, Parton teamed up with Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette for the Honky Tonk Angels.
Parton was also inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and won another Grammy the following year for "Shine" from the 2001 album Little Sparrow.
Continuing to write and record, Parton released the album Backwoods Barbie in 2008. The album featured two country singles, "Better Get to Livin" and "Jesus & Gravity".
Around this time, Parton got into a public feud with Howard Stern. She was upset after he broadcast an episode in which spoken recording (manipulation) is heard, as if she had made an obscene statement.
Lifetime honors and new screen projects
In 2006, Dolly Parton received a special recognition for her lifetime contribution to the arts.
She also received a second Academy Award nomination for "Travelin' Thru", which appeared on the 2005 Transamerica soundtrack.
Over the years, Parton has continued to work as an actress in many films and television projects, including Rhinestone (1984), Steel Magnolias (1989), Straight Talk (1992), Unlikely Angel (1996), Frank McKlusky, CI (2002) and Joyful Noise (20120.
At the 50 2016th Annual Country Music Association Awards, Parton was honored with the Willie Nelson Award for her lifetime achievement.
In early 2018, shortly before the music icon's 72nd birthday, a Sony Music press release revealed that she was still setting records and winning accolades.
Along with receiving gold and platinum certifications for some of her songs, Parton was honored with the Governors' Award at the 32nd Midsouth Regional Emmy Awards.
In addition, she was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records in 2018 for all her achievements in this decade.
Having already won the For The Whole Life award in 2011, Parton received another tribute during the awards ceremony in February 2019, when artists such as Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus and Casey Musgraves joined her on stage to perform combo of her hits.
Books and Biopics
After writing so many of her own hits, Parton wrote songs for a new musical based on her early popular comedy.
The show starring Allison Janney (who was cast as Tony) ran on Broadway several times during 2009.
Parton showed no signs of slowing down.
In 2011, she released on Better Day and performed well on the country's album charts.
In 2012, Parton published her book Dream More: Celebrate The Dreamer In Oneself. She is also the author of the memoir Dolly: My Life And Other Unfinished Business (1994).
Coat Of Many Colors Dolly Parton is her childhood biopic which was released in 2015. It starred Alyvia Alyn Lind as a young star and Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles as Dolly's mother.
The following year, Parton released her first number 1 country album in 25 years with the Pure & Simple set, and also toured North America with it. The 2016 holiday season also featured a follow-up to the multi-faceted sequel Christmas Of Many Colors: Circle Of Love.
In June 2018, Netflix announced that it would be releasing an anthology series, Dolly Parton, which would premiere in 2019. Each of the eight episodes will be based on one of her songs.
Foundation: Dollywood
Dolly Parton has worked with charities in support of many causes over the years, and in 1996 she created her own Dollywood Foundation.
With the goal of improving literacy among young children, she created the Dolly's Imagination Library, which donates over 10 million books to children annually. “They call me the Book Lady. That's what little kids say when they get their books in the mail,” she told The Washington Post in 2006.
"They think I'll bring them in and put them in the mailbox myself, like Peter Rabbit or something like that."
While many of her charitable contributions are anonymous, Parton has used her success to give back to her community by providing scholarships for children, donating thousands of dollars to hospitals, and providing technology and classroom supplies.
Personal life
Parton has been married to Carl Diene since 1966. The couple met at Wishy Washy's Nashville laundry two years earlier.
On the 50th anniversary, they renewed their vows. “My husband is not someone who just wants to be thrown out,” she said of Dean. “He is a very good person and I have always respected him!”
Parton is, by the way, the godmother of pop singer and actress Miley Cyrus.
