Dolly Parton

Abstract

Dolly Rebecca Parton, born 19 January 1946 in Locust Ridge (Sevier County), Tennessee, is an internationally renowned composer, singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, publisher, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Known primarily for her work in American country music, she grew up on the outskirts of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Her talents for performing and songwriting manifested themselves early; by age ten, under the mentorship of her uncle Bill Owens, she began appearing on local television performing her own songs. By age thirteen she appeared in a guest spot on the Grand Ole Opry and recorded her first single, “Puppy Love” (1959) on Goldband Records. At age eighteen she moved to Nashville, where she eventually developed a national following as a regular on The Porter Wagoner Show (1967–1974). During this time, she wrote and recorded four number one hits, as well as several biographical-based works, including the single “Coat of Many Colors” (1971) and the concept album My Tennessee Mountain Home (1973). In 1976, she hired a new manager and embarked on a decade-long period of crossover hits, television appearances, and movies, which brought her mainstream popularity. She also began expanding her business enterprises in publishing and through the creation of the Dollywood Theme Park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. In 1986, she was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. From 1987 to 1999 she returned to recording mostly country songs and, as a songwriter, had an international hit when Whitney Houston recorded her 1974 song “I Will Always Love You.” She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999. The years 2000 to 2020 saw her return to her roots in bluegrass and old-time music with several critically acclaimed albums. Over her career she has been nominated for two Academy Awards and one Tony Award. Additionally, she received the National Medal of Arts (2005) and the Kennedy Center Honors (2006) as well as an honorary doctorate from the University of Tennessee (2009) and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Country Music Association (2016). Her business and philanthropic ventures continue to grow with the expansion of Dollywood and the Imagination Library, which encourages childhood literacy as well as with her work with animal rehabilitation, support for disaster relief (specifically the 2016 Great Smoky Mountains wildfires), and donations to COVID-19 vaccine research. Through it all she has continued to write songs. Estimates of her catalogue total more than 3,000 titles. In 2019, she celebrated her fiftieth anniversary as a member of the Grand Old Opry.