Dolly Rebecca Parton, a renowned American singer-songwriter, actress, and entrepreneur, was born on January 19, 1946, in Pittman Center, Tennessee, to Avie Lee Parton and Robert Lee Parton, a tobacco farmer. Raised in Sevierville, Tennessee, Dolly's early life was marked by her talent for music, which she showcased on Knoxville TV at the age of 12 and recorded on a small label at 13, while also performing at the Grand Ole Opry.
After graduating from high school in 1964, Dolly moved to Nashville to pursue a career in country music, where she fell in love with Carl Dean, an asphalt-paving business owner, and married him on May 30, 1966. Her singing career gained momentum when she was hired by Porter Wagoner to appear on his program, The Porter Wagoner Show, in 1967, and she stayed with the show for seven years, releasing duets and touring with his group.
Dolly's solo career took off in the early 1970s, with her hit song "Joshua" reaching number one in 1970, and she went on to win numerous Country Music Association awards, including four consecutive awards for Best Female Vocalist. Her petite stature and charming stage presence made her a natural for television, and she began appearing on TV specials and talk shows, eventually landing her own show, Dolly, in 1976.
In 1977, Dolly won her first Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her song "Here You Come Again," and she continued to dominate the music charts throughout the 1980s, with hits like "9 to 5" and "Tennessee Homesick Blues." Her movie debut was in 9 to 5 (1980),where she earned an Oscar nomination for writing the title tune, and she went on to appear in films like The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) and Rhinestone (1984).
In addition to her music and acting career, Dolly is also the head of Dolly Parton Enterprises, a $100 million media empire, and founded Dollywood, a theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in 1986. She has continued to release new music and appear in films and television shows throughout her career, including the acclaimed picture Steel Magnolias (1989) with Julia Roberts.
Throughout her illustrious career, Dolly has won numerous awards and accolades, including eight Grammy Awards, ten Academy of Country Music Awards, and three American Music Awards. She has also been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Grammy Hall of Fame.
