The world lost an icon when Dolly Parton died at age 80.
Dolly Parton is one of the most remarkable figures in American entertainment. She’s not just a country singer—she’s a songwriter, actress, author, businesswoman, and philanthropist whose
Dolly Rebecca Parton was born January 19, 1946, in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, the fourth of 12 children. Her family was extremely poor, living in a small cabin without electricity or running water. Music was nevertheless central to the household, particularly through her mother and grandfather.
She began performing remarkably young. At 13, she made her debut at the Grand Ole Opry, and after graduating high school she moved to Nashville to pursue music professionally.
She is an extraordinary songwriter, having written “Jolene” “I Will Always Love You”“Coat of Many Colors”“9 to 5”“Joshua”“Islands in the Stream” with Kenny Rogers.
“I Will Always Love You” is particularly extraordinary. Dolly wrote it as a farewell to Porter Wagoner when she left his television show in 1974. Whitney Houston later recorded it for The Bodyguard, turning Dolly’s country song into one of the biggest pop hits in music history.
Dolly successfully moved into movies, most famously starring alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in 1980’s 9 to 5.
She also appeared in films including The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Rhinestone, Steel Magnolias, and Straight Talk.
“9 to 5” was especially important because Dolly wrote and performed the title song herself—and it became another major hit.
She’s also a remarkably successful businesswoman.
In 1985, she became involved in the development of Dollywood, the theme park near her hometown in Tennessee. It grew into one of the region’s major tourist attractions.
One of her greatest accomplishments may actually be Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
She founded the program in 1995 to encourage young children to read. It provides free books to children from birth through age five. The program has expanded internationally and is now active throughout all 50 U.S. states as well as several other countries.
The motivation was deeply personal: her father never learned to read, and Dolly wanted to make sure children had access to books regardless of their family’s circumstances.
Her list of honors is enormous. Among them:
Country Music Hall of Fame — 1999
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame — 1986
Songwriters Hall of Fame — 2001
Kennedy Center Honors — 2006
National Medal of Arts — 2005
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award — 2011
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — 2022
She’s also won 10 Grammys and numerous country-music awards.
Dolly was married for almost 60 years to Carl Dean, the love of her live.
Photos by Derek Storm and InFocusvisions
