Born in the Great Smokey Mountains in Tennessee, Dolly was one of twelve children living in a one room cabin on a tobacco farm. The family struggled financially but music played an important part in their lives. Dolly began writing and singing music as a young child and would perform on local television and radio programs. By thirteen, she recorded her first single, "Puppy Love" in 1959. While this song wasn't much of a hit but it still gave her confidence to try a move to Nashville. In 1967, Dolly recorded her debut album, "Hello, I'm Dolly" that would move it's way to number one on the country chart. She caught the attention of country superstar, Porter Wagoner and Parton would be asked to join his band and eventually be his co-host on his weekly television show. Wagoner and Parton became a popular musical duo and recorded twelve highly successful albums.
During this time, Parton began to release solo recordings with her biggest hit was "Jolene" which topped the country chart in 1974 and even made it on to the pop chart. And it around this time that Parton was ready to make a move away from Wagoner to pursue a career path on her own. Wanting to express her feelings about her musical partner, she wrote "I Will Always Love You" which went to number one on the country chart. Elvis Presley loved the song and wanted to record a version but his manager, Colonel Tom Parker informed Parton she would have to give him half of the publishing rights if Presley did. Parton had to sadly refuse which became a very wise business decision years later when Whitney Houston recorded a reimagined pop version for her 1992 film debut, "The Bodyguard" with the single selling well over twenty-four million copies.
Parton loved her success in country music but was curious about expanding her audience, deciding to work with a new manager, Sandy Gallin (who she met through Mac Davis and stayed with for twenty-five years) to help her crossover to pop music. Her breakthrough came in 1977 with the title track from her nineteenth studio album, "Here You Come Again" where it reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number one on the country chart. This was impressive feat for Parton as she managed to achieve this success without drastically changing her sound or alienating her country fans. More hits came on the country and pop charts with her profile heightened even further by appearing on numerous variety shows including her own, "Dolly!" which ran for one season in 1976.
Parton was lured to the movies and made her acting debut in the work-place comedy, "9 to 5", co-starring with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. The film was a huge hit and Parton's theme song she wrote became her first to top the pop chart and to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. She went on to make more feature films that includes an adaptation of the Broadway musical, "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" with Burt Reynolds, "Rhinestone", a 1984 comedy with Sylvester Stallone and "Steel Magnolias", a beloved all-star dramatic-comedy.
Parton invested in various charities, medical research and philanthropic projects that includes Dollywood, a theme park that was opened in 1986 located in Pigeon Forge, TN that provided jobs for the people in the community and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, founded in honor of her father who never learned to read or write, which mails one book per month to an enrolled child from the time of their birth until they enter kindergarten.
As one of the most accomplished and highly honored performers in country music with total sales of well over one hundred million records sold, Parton was able to help expand this distinctly American sound to attract a wide international audience. She was a charismatic entertainer, one who had a singular talent and extraordinary gift to be able to achieve this kind of rare universal appeal.
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