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Published on Birthplace of Country Music (http://www.birthplaceofcountrymusic.org)

Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton 

(Singer, Songwriter, Guitar, Actress)

 Dolly Parton (Locust Ridge, Tenn.) is a consummate entertainer; not only is she a versatile singer, she is a musician and an actress as well. Her engaging "down home" personality makes her audiences feel as if they are simply sitting down for a slice of coffeecake and a good chat in her kitchen. It is precisely these qualities, as well as her persistence, that have catapulted Parton to celebrity status. Upon graduating from high school in 1967, Parton moved to Nashville and recorded her first project "Dumb Blonde." This earned her a spot on Porter Wagoner's television show. Parton left Wagoner's show in 1974 to embrace a solo career. Besides charting twenty-seven number one hits, Parton has been in nine movies, and has received four Grammys, eight CMA awards and earned one Oscar nomination. Parton also owns the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. 1988, she founded the Dollywood Foundation, which supports her home community of Sevier County through scholarships as well as through the Imagination Library, a program that gives each child in the county a book per year from birth until age five.

Dolly Parton is not only Country Music’s most successful female entertainer, but probably the best known Country music singer in the world. She is one of the most prolific female singer-songwriters in recording history, having cut about 300 of her own songs.

Dolly was born a few miles north of Gatlinburg, the fourth of twelve children. Her father was a struggling tobacco farmer and her mother was often incapacitated with illness. The impoverished family all sang and occasionally wrote music together which helped the children withstand the derision of their classmates and neighbors.

Dolly’s Uncle Bill Owens bought her a Martin acoustic guitar when she was only 7 and got her on the Cas Walker 'Farm and Home Hour' radio show on WIVK Knoxville. By the time she was 10 she was appearing regularly, often staying at the Knoxville home of Opry stars Carl and Pearl Butler. She made her Opry debut in 1959 and in 1960 cut her first record.

The day after she graduated from high school in 1964, Dolly boarded a bus for Nashville, following her uncle Bill Owens, who had recently moved there and in the months to come they tried to pitch their songs. In early 1965, Dolly and Bill Owens signed with Fred Foster’s Combine Music and Dolly was also signed to his Monument Records.

In 1967, Dolly was recruited to replace Norma Jean on Porter Wagoner’s syndicated TV program. Her first live show with Wagoner was in Lebanon, Virginia and Wagoner devised the strategy of duets with her to counter resentment of fans who were fond of Norma Jean. They recorded together and had Top 10 releases in 1967 and 1968. Also in 1967, Dolly’s own publishing company, Owepar, was founded.

Dolly joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1969, but she was having problems getting her songs high on the charts. Finally, Porter Wagoner had the idea of having her sing Jimmie Rodgers Mule Skinner Blues, and the production -- lightened by Dolly’s yodeling -- went Top 3 in 1970, earning a Grammy nomination. Their duo recording continued to succeed, with several Top 10 hits and they won CMA’s "Vocal Group of the Year" in 1968 and "Vocal Duo of the Year" in 1970 and 1971.

Dolly released her first No. 1 single in 1971 with Joshua, one of countless songs written from personal experience or observation. Her next No. 1 came in 1973 and was followed by three more No. 1’s in a row. She left the Porter Wagoner show in 1974, but he continued to produce her records, including more duets, into 1976. Dolly won CMA’s "Female Vocalist of the Year" in 1975 and 1976 and appeared at the Wembley Festival in England in 1975. A string of Country and crossover Pop hits and awards followed, making Dolly a superstar in Country music and one of the most photographed American females.

In 1979, her contract with Porter Wagoner ended with a lawsuit that gave Dolly her copyrights and Porter a financial settlement and their recording studio. Dolly continued her successful recording career with more chart hits and became an actress as well, starring in 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Rhinestone and Steel Magnolias. For one season she had a weekly TV show, Dolly.

In 1985, Dolly opened the Dollywood amusement park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and her Dollywood Foundation help cut the Sevier County High School dropout rate in half with the "buddies" program.

Recordings include:

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