Genres: Seasonal,Country,Pop,Soundtracks,Soul/R&BDolly Parton was born the eighth of twelve children in a very poor family in Tennessee. She began performing when she was nine years old, singing on local radio and television stations. At age thirteen, Dolly began recording with Goldband Records, and appeared at the Grand Ole Opry, where she met Johnny Cash. Cash encouraged her to follow her heart; taking his advice, she moved to Nashville the day after she graduated from high school.
Read more...
Dolly Parton
I've always been a freak and different, oddball even in my childhood and my own family, so I can relate to people who are struggling and trying to find their true identity. I do not sit in the seat of judgment. ... I love people for who they are. We're all God's children.
The Early Years
Dolly Parton was born the eighth of twelve children in a very poor family in Tennessee. She began performing when she was nine years old, singing on local radio and television stations. At age thirteen, Dolly began recording with Goldband Records, and appeared at the Grand Ole Opry, where she met Johnny Cash. Cash encouraged her to follow her heart; taking his advice, she moved to Nashville the day after she graduated from high school.
In 1967, Dolly Parton joined the Porter Wagoner Show. She released four albums in the 1960s, but her solo efforts were eclipsed by the popularity of their duets. She stayed with Wagoner for seven years, until she left in 1974 to pursue a solo career.
A Performing and Recording Legend
The 1970s saw seventeen album releases, spawning eight #1 hits. She became popular for country music as well as pop music. Her songs would eventually be covered by many different artists, including Olivia Newton-John, Emmylou Harris, Rose Maddox, and Linda Ronstadt. Her first album to sell over one million albums was the 1977 release, Here You come Again.
Her film career began in earnest in the 1980s, with a lead role in the film 9 to 5, for which she sang the theme song, and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. This hit made her one of the few female singers to have a hit reach #1 on the country charts and the pop charts simultaneously. Dolly Parton released eight albums in the 1980s, with ten top ten hits by 1985. She performed duets with Barry Gibb and Kenny Rogers, and released the album, Trio, in 1987 with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt.
Still Strong
Dolly Parton's career has not slowed down, with twelve more albums since 1995. She has toured continuously throughout her career. Her European Tour in 2007 grossed over $16 million and sold out every show on the schedule. Dolly is loved for her music and her film career, with an enormous fan base. She is also respected for her tireless philanthropic work in the area of literacy, through the Dollywood Foundation.
Dolly has won numerous awards over the course of her career. In 2006, she was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors from the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, for her lifetime contributions to the arts.
Did you know . . .
- Dolly Parton has appeared in nine movies, and twenty-four television shows.
- In 1994, Dolly was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a star on the Nashville Star Walk for Grammy winners.
- In 2006, she published a cookbook, entitled Dolly's Dixie Fixins: Love, Laughter, and Lots of Good Food. The proceeds go to the Dollywood Foundation.
- Unlimited Music Access
- Music File Sharing
- Country Based Radio Channels
- Easy, Fast and Safe!
- 100% Free!
