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Dolly Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an United
States|American country music|country singer,
songwriter, composer and Actor|actress.


She was born Dolly Rebecca Parton in Sevierville,
Tennessee|Sevierville, Tennessee, the fourth of
twelve children born to Robert Lee Parton and Alvy
Lee Owens, and grew up "dirt poor" in a one-room
cabin.

Parton was raised Assembly of God, a Pentecostal
religious denomination|denomination, and music was
a very large part of her church experience. She
once told an interviewer that her grandfather was
a Pentecostal "Holy Roller" preacher and today,
when appearing in live concerts in the Southern
United States|South, she frequently performs the
"Holy Roller" song "Go To Hell." Parton, however,
professes no religion, claiming to be only
Christianity|Christian while adding that she
believes everyone on the planet are God's
children. 

She began her entertainment career as a child,
singing on local radio programming|radio and
television program|television in East Tennessee.
She also recorded on a small record label|label
and appeared at the Grand Ole Opry. When she
graduated from high school in 1964 she moved to
Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville, taking many
traditional folkloric elements and popular music
from East Tennessee with her.

On May 30, 1966, she and Carl Dean, who ran an
asphalt-paving business, were married in Ringgold,
Georgia. She has remained with the same husband,
who has always shunned publicity and stayed in the
background.

She initially signed with Monument Records, where
she recorded a series of singles that failed to
chart, before finally having a hit with "Dumb
Blonde" (one of the few songs she recorded during
this period that she did not write herself), which
reached the country top 20 in 1967 in music|1967.


That same year, Parton was asked to join the
weekly syndicated country music TV program hosted
by Porter Wagoner, with whom she became half of a
highly successful duet team. She also signed with
RCA|RCA Records, Wagoner's label, during this
period, where she would remain for the next two
decades. Their first single together, a cover of
Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing on My Mind," reached
the top ten on the United States|U.S. country
Billboard magazine|charts in late 1967, and was
the first of over a dozen duet singles to chart
for them during the next several years.

Parton is a hugely successful songwriter, having
begun by writing country songs with strong
elements of folk music in them based upon her
upbringing in humble mountain surroundings. Her
songs "Coat of Many Colors" and "Jolene" have
become classics in the field, as have a number of
others.

She stayed with the Wagoner show and continued to
record duets with him for seven years, then made a
break to become a solo artist. In 1974 in
music|1974, her song "I Will Always Love You" was
released and went to #1 on the country charts,
though the single did not "crossover" to the pop
charts (as "Jolene" had done). Around the same
time, Elvis Presley indicated that he wanted to
cover the song. Parton was interested until
Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, told her
that she would have to sign over half of the
publishing rights if Elvis recorded the song (as
was the standard procedure for songs Elvis
recorded).  Parton refused and that decision is
credited with helping make her many millions of
dollars in royalties from the song over the years.

During the mid-1970s, Dolly had her eyes set on
expanding her audience base. The first step
towards meeting this goal was her attempt a
variety show, Dolly (1976 TV series)|Dolly. The
show lasted merely one season, with Dolly asking
out of her contract due to the stress it was
causing her vocal chords.

Despite originally being typecast in many circles
as a "Country and Western" singer, Parton later
had even greater commercial success as a pop
music|pop singer and actress. Her 1977 in
music|1977 single "Here You Come Again" became her
first top-ten single on the pop charts, and many
of her subsequent singles charted on both pop and
country charts simultaneously.  


In 1980 in film|1980, Jane Fonda decided Parton
was a perfect candidate for her upcoming film,
Nine to Five|9 to 5. She was looking for a brassy
Southern United States|Southern woman for a
supporting role and felt the singer was perfect.
Parton was signed, and went on to steal the
notices and score a major hit with the title song.

She wrote and performed "9 to 5," which earned her
an Academy Award nomination for Academy Award for
Best Song|Best Original Song. She received a
Golden Globe Award|Golden Globe nomination for
Best Original Song - Motion Picture. And she won
two Grammy Awards, for Best Female Country Vocal
Performance and Best Country Song. It reached #1
on the Billboard Hot 100 and was also #78 on
American Film Institute's 100 years, 100 songs.

She also received Golden Globe nominations for
Best Motion Picture Actress - Musical/Comedy and
New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture - Female.

Parton was very selective about her future film
material, and had successes opposite Burt Reynolds
in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982 in
film|1982), for which she received another Golden
Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion
Picture - Comedy/Musical, and in the supporting
role as Truvy in Steel Magnolias (1989 in
film|1989) co-starring Sally Field, Shirley
MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, and Julia
Roberts.

In 1982 in music|1982, she recorded a second
version of "I Will Always Love You" for The Best
Little Whorehouse in Texas; the second version
proved to be another #1 country hit and also
managed to reach the pop charts, going to #53 in
the United States.

In 1986 in music|1986, she was inducted into the
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

The following year, along with Emmylou Harris and
Linda Ronstadt, she released the
decade-in-the-making Trio album to critical
acclaim.  Also in 1987 in music|1987, Parton
switched record labels, moving from RCA to
Columbia Records, and took a second stab at her
own TV variety show, also titled Dolly (TV
series)|Dolly, which lasted only one season.


Parton has also done voice work for animation,
such as playing herself in the TV series Alvin &
the Chipmunks (episode: Urban Chipmunk) (1987 in
television|1987) and her voice role as Katrina
Eloise "Murph" Murphy in The Magic School Bus
(episode: The Family Holiday Special) (1996 in
television|1996).

Standing at 5 feet (152 cm), Parton's physical
trademark is her large bust. She has often mocked
this reputation with quips such as "I would have
burned my bra in the 60s, but it would have taken
the fire department three days to put it out," or
"The reason I have a small waist and small feet is
that nothing grows well in the shade."

In 1992 in music|1992, "I Will Always Love You"
was performed by Whitney Houston on The Bodyguard
soundtrack. Houston's version became the
best-selling hit ever written and performed by a
female vocalist, with worldwide sales of
$12,000,000. As Parton owned the song, she raked
in huge profits from Houston's cover. The song was
also covered by music legend Kenny Rogers on his
1997 in music|1997 album "Always and Forever,"
which sold over 4 million copies worldwide.

Parton's last starring role in a film was in 1992
in film|1992's Straight Talk, opposite James
Woods. She played the plainspoken host of a radio
program that has people phoning-in with problems.
She later played an overprotective mother in Frank
McKlusky, C.I. with Dave Sheridan, Cameron
Richardson, and Randy Quaid.

After being dropped by country radio stations'
playlists in the mid-1990s, she rediscovered her
roots by recording a series of critically
acclaimed Bluegrass music|bluegrass albums,
beginning with "The Grass is Blue" (1999) and
including Grammy-winning "Little Sparrow" (2001 in
music|2001), which was the theme tune of the very
popular movie of the same name. Her 2002 in
music|2002 album "Halos and Horns" included a
bluegrass version of the Led Zeppelin classic
Stairway to Heaven.

Parton is a shrewd businesswoman. She invested
much of her earnings into business ventures in her
native East Tennessee, notably Pigeon Forge,
Tennessee|Pigeon Forge, which includes a theme
park named Dollywood and a dinner show called
Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede, resulting in a
thriving tourism industry that draws visitors from
large parts of the Southeastern and Midwestern
United States, notably Tennessee, Kentucky and
Ohio. This region of the U.S., like most areas of
Appalachia, traditionally has been characterized
by economic poverty. Thus, Parton put something
back into the community where she was born and
raised.


She has reportedly turned down several offers to
pose for Playboy magazine and similar
publications. Although she has admitted to having
some amounts of Plastic surgery|cosmetic surgery
(notably a breast lift), rumors that she had
breast augmentation surgery remain
unsubstantiated.

Parton, alongside Johnny Cash, is one of the few
country stars to be admired and acclaimed by Fan
(aficionado)|fans from all walks of life. She said
that she has long admired the look of some
outcasts from society (such as prostitutes, whose
long fingernails and big blonde wigs inspired
her), which has continued into her adult years. 

Her work of the late 1990s and beyond has moved
towards bluegrass and more traditional folk
styles.

She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for
Recording at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard in
Hollywood, California|Hollywood; a star on the
Nashville Star Walk for Grammy winners; and a
bronze sculpture on the courthouse lawn in
Sevierville, Tennessee.

Parton was honored in 2003 with a tribute album
called "Just Because I'm a Woman." The artists who
recorded versions of Dolly's songs include Melissa
Ethridge ("I Will Always Love You"), Allison Kraus
("9 to 5"), Shania Twain ("Coat of Many Colors"),
Me'Shell NdegeOcello ("Two Doors Down"), Nora
Jones ("The Grass is Blue"), and Sinead O'Connor
("Dagger Through the Heart"). 

Dolly Parton was awarded the Living Legend medal
by the U.S. Library of Congress on April 14, 2004,
for her contributions to the cultural heritage of
the United States.

==Hit singles==
*1967 in music|1967 "The Last Thing on My Mind"
(with Porter Wagoner) (#7 COUNTRY)
*1968 in music|1968 "We'll Get Ahead Someday"
(with Porter Wagoner) (#5 COUNTRY)
*1969 in music|1969 "Just Someone I Used to Know"
(with Porter Wagoner) (#7 COUNTRY)
*1970 in music|1970 "Mule Skinner Blues" (#3
COUNTRY)
*1970 in music|1970 "Joshua (song)" #108 U.S. (#1
COUNTRY)
*1971 in music|1971 "Better Move it On Home" (with
Porter Wagoner) (#7 COUNTRY)
*1971 in music|1971 "Coat of Many Colors" (#4
COUNTRY)
*1972 in music|1972 "Touch Your Woman" (#6
COUNTRY)
*1973 in music|1973 "If Teardrops Were Pennies
(and Heartaches were Gold" (with Porter Wagoner)
(#3 COUNTRY)
*1973 in music|1973 "Jolene" #44 U.S. (#1 COUNTRY)
*1974 in music|1974 "I Will Always Love You" (#1
COUNTRY)
*1974 in music|1974 "Please Don't Stop Loving Me"
(#1 COUNTRY)
*1975 in music|1975 "The Bargain Store" (#1
COUNTRY)
*1975 in music|1975 "The Seeker" (#2 COUNTRY)
*1976 in music|1976 "It's All I Can Do" (#3
COUNTRY)
*1977 in music|1977 "Here You Come Again" #3 U.S.
(#1 COUNTRY)
*1978 in music|1978 "Two Doors Down" #19 U.S. (#1
COUNTRY)
*1978 in music|1978 "Heartbreaker" #12 U.S. (#1
COUNTRY)
*1979 in music|1979 "Baby I'm Burning" #25 U.S.
*1979 in music|1979 "You're the Only One" (#1
COUNTRY)
*1980 in music|1980 "Starting Over Again" #35 U.S.
(#1 COUNTRY)
*1980 in music|1980 "Old Flames Can't Hold a
Candle to You  (#1 COUNTRY)
*1981 in music|1981 "9 to 5" #1 U.S. (#1 COUNTRY)
*1981 in music|1981 "But You Know I Love You" #41
U.S. (#1 COUNTRY)
*1982 in music|1982 "Single Women" (#8 COUNTRY)
*1983 in music|1983 "Everything's Beautiful" (with
Willie Nelson) (#7 COUNTRY)
*1982 in music|1982 "I Will Always Love You" (1982
recording)  #53 U.S. (#1 COUNTRY)
*1983 in music|1983 "Islands in the Stream" (with
Kenny Rogers) #1 U.S., #7 UK (#1 COUNTRY)
*1984 in music|1984 "Save the Last Dance for Me"
(#3 COUNTRY)
*1984 in music|1984 "Tennessee  Homesick Blues"
(#1 COUNTRY)
*1985 in music|1985 "Don't Call it Love" (#3
COUNTRY)
*1985 in music|1985 "Real Love" (#1 COUNTRY)
*1986 in music|1986 "Think About Love" (#1
COUNTRY)
*1987 in music|1987 "To Know Him is to Love Him"
(with Emmylou Harris) and Linda Ronstadt) (#1
COUNTRY)
*1987 in music|1987 "Telling Me Lies" (with
Emmylou Harris) and Linda Ronstadt) (#3 COUNTRY)
*1988 in music|1988 "Wildflowers" (with Emmylou
Harris) and Linda Ronstadt) (#1 COUNTRY)
*1989 in music|1989 "Why'd Ya' Come In Here
Lookin' Like That?" (#1 COUNTRY)
*1989 in music|1989 "Yellow Roses" (#1 COUNTRY)
*1991 in music|1991 "Rockin' Years" (#1 COUNTRY)

==Charting albums==
*1978 in music|1978 "Heartbreaker" #27 U.S.
*1978 in music|1978 "Here You Come Again" #20 U.S.
*1978 in music|1978 "Dolly Parton/Both Sides" #24
UK
*1979 in music|1979 "Great Balls of Fire" #40 U.S.
*1981 in music|1981 "9 to 5 and Odd Jobs" #11 U.S.
*1991 in music|1991 "Eagle When She Flies" #24
U.S.
*1993 in music|1993 "Honky Tonk Angels" #42 U.S.
*1993 in music|1993 "Slow Dancing with the Moon"
#16 U.S.
*1997 in music|1997 "A Life in Music - Ultimate
Collection" #38 UK
*2001 in music|2001 "Little Sparrow" #30 UK
*2001 in music|2001 "Gold - The Hits Collection"
#23 UK
*2002 in music|2002 "Halos & Horns" #37 UK
*2003 in music|2003 "Ultimate" #17 UK

==Filmography==
*Nine to Five|9 to 5 (1980 in film|1980) ...
Doralee Rhodes
*The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982 in
film|1982) ... Mona Stangley
*Rhinestone (1984 film)|Rhinestone (1984 in
film|1984) ... Jake
*Steel Magnolias (1989 in film|1989) ... Truvy
Jones
*Straight Talk (1992 in film|1992) ... Shirlee
Kenyon
*The Beverly Hillbillies (1993 movie)|The Beverly
Hillbillies (1993 in film|1993) ... cameo as
herself
*Frank McKlusky, C.I. (2002 in film|2002) ...
Edith McKlusky
*Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005 in
film|2005) .. cameo as herself

==TV filmography==
*A Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986 in
television|1986) ... Lorna Davis
*Wild Texas Wind (1991 in television|1991) ...
Thiola "Big T" Rayfield
*Unlikely Angel (1996 in television|1996) ... Ruby
Diamond
*Blue Valley Songbird (1999 in television|1999)
... Leanna Taylor

==TV series==
*Heavens to Betsy (1994 TV series)|Heavens to
Betsy (1994 in television|1994) (comedy) ...
regular
*Mindin' My Own Business (1996 in television|1996)
(comedy) ... regular

==TV music & variety==
*The Porter Wagoner Show (1967 in
television|1967-1974 in television|1974) (country
music) ... regular singer
*Dolly (1976 TV series)|Dolly (1976 in
television|1976) (variety) ... host
*Dolly (TV series)|Dolly (1987 in
television|1987-1988 in television|1988) (variety)
... host

==Documentaries==
*The Nashville Sound (1970 in film|1970)
*Heartsong (1995 in film|1995)
*Our Country (2002 in film|2002)
*Uncut: The True Story of Hair (2002 in film|2002)

==Trivia==
*The Dolly the sheep|first cloned mammal was a
sheep named "Dolly" in honor of Dolly Parton,
because it was cloned from a mammary gland|mammary
cell (biology)|cell.

==See also==
*Academy of Country Music
*Country Music Association
*Country Music Hall of Fame
*List of country music performers
*List of best-selling music artists

==External links==

*http://www.dollyon-line.com/ Dolly Parton On-Line
*imdb name|id=0000573|name=Dolly Parton
*http://www.dollymania.net/ Dollymania: An online
newsmagazine on Parton
*http://www.dollywood.com/ Official Dollywood
Website

	Web Quotableonline.com Frasescelebres.org Greatbookscollection.org

Dolly Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an United
States|American country music|country singer,
songwriter, composer and Actor|actress.



== Background ==
She was born Dolly Rebecca Parton in Sevierville,
Tennessee|Sevierville, Tennessee, the fourth of
twelve children born to Robert Lee Parton and Alvy
Lee Owens, and grew up "dirt poor" in a one-room
cabin.

Parton was raised Assembly of God, a Pentecostal
religious denomination|denomination, and music was
a very large part of her church experience. She
once told an interviewer that her grandfather was
a Pentecostal "Holy Roller" preacher and today,
when appearing in live concerts in the Southern
United States|South, she frequently performs the
"Holy Roller" song "Go To Hell." Parton, however,
professes no religion, claiming to be only
Christianity|Christian while adding that she
believes everyone on the planet are God's
children. 

She began her entertainment career as a child,
singing on local radio programming|radio and
television program|television in East Tennessee.
She also recorded on a small record label|label
and appeared at the Grand Ole Opry. When she
graduated from high school in 1964 she moved to
Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville, taking many
traditional folkloric elements and popular music
from East Tennessee with her.

On May 30, 1966, she and Carl Dean, who ran an
asphalt-paving business, were married in Ringgold,
Georgia. She has remained with the same husband,
who has always shunned publicity and stayed in the
background.

== Early Career ==

She initially signed with Monument Records, where
she recorded a series of singles that failed to
chart, before finally having a hit with "Dumb
Blonde" (one of the few songs she recorded during
this period that she did not write herself), which
reached the country top 20 in 1967 in music|1967.


That same year, Parton was asked to join the
weekly syndicated country music TV program hosted
by Porter Wagoner, with whom she became half of a
highly successful duet team. She also signed with
RCA|RCA Records, Wagoner's label, during this
period, where she would remain for the next two
decades. Their first single together, a cover of
Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing on My Mind," reached
the top ten on the United States|U.S. country
Billboard magazine|charts in late 1967, and was
the first of over a dozen duet singles to chart
for them during the next several years.

Parton is a hugely successful songwriter, having
begun by writing country songs with strong
elements of folk music in them based upon her
upbringing in humble mountain surroundings. Her
songs "Coat of Many Colors" and "Jolene" have
become classics in the field, as have a number of
others.

She stayed with the Wagoner show and continued to
record duets with him for seven years, then made a
break to become a solo artist. In 1974 in
music|1974, her song "I Will Always Love You" was
released and went to #1 on the country charts,
though the single did not "crossover" to the pop
charts (as "Jolene" had done). Around the same
time, Elvis Presley indicated that he wanted to
cover the song. Parton was interested until
Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, told her
that she would have to sign over half of the
publishing rights if Elvis recorded the song (as
was the standard procedure for songs Elvis
recorded).  Parton refused and that decision is
credited with helping make her many millions of
dollars in royalties from the song over the years.

During the mid-1970s, Dolly had her eyes set on
expanding her audience base. The first step
towards meeting this goal was her attempt a
variety show, Dolly (1976 TV series)|Dolly. The
show lasted merely one season, with Dolly asking
out of her contract due to the stress it was
causing her vocal chords.

== Breakout ==

Despite originally being typecast in many circles
as a "Country and Western" singer, Parton later
had even greater commercial success as a pop
music|pop singer and actress. Her 1977 in
music|1977 single "Here You Come Again" became her
first top-ten single on the pop charts, and many
of her subsequent singles charted on both pop and
country charts simultaneously.  


In 1980 in film|1980, Jane Fonda decided Parton
was a perfect candidate for her upcoming film,
Nine to Five|9 to 5. She was looking for a brassy
Southern United States|Southern woman for a
supporting role and felt the singer was perfect.
Parton was signed, and went on to steal the
notices and score a major hit with the title song.

She wrote and performed "9 to 5," which earned her
an Academy Award nomination for Academy Award for
Best Song|Best Original Song. She received a
Golden Globe Award|Golden Globe nomination for
Best Original Song - Motion Picture. And she won
two Grammy Awards, for Best Female Country Vocal
Performance and Best Country Song. It reached #1
on the Billboard Hot 100 and was also #78 on
American Film Institute's 100 years, 100 songs.

She also received Golden Globe nominations for
Best Motion Picture Actress - Musical/Comedy and
New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture - Female.

Parton was very selective about her future film
material, and had successes opposite Burt Reynolds
in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982 in
film|1982), for which she received another Golden
Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion
Picture - Comedy/Musical, and in the supporting
role as Truvy in Steel Magnolias (1989 in
film|1989) co-starring Sally Field, Shirley
MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, and Julia
Roberts.

In 1982 in music|1982, she recorded a second
version of "I Will Always Love You" for The Best
Little Whorehouse in Texas; the second version
proved to be another #1 country hit and also
managed to reach the pop charts, going to #53 in
the United States.

In 1986 in music|1986, she was inducted into the
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

The following year, along with Emmylou Harris and
Linda Ronstadt, she released the
decade-in-the-making Trio album to critical
acclaim.  Also in 1987 in music|1987, Parton
switched record labels, moving from RCA to
Columbia Records, and took a second stab at her
own TV variety show, also titled Dolly (TV
series)|Dolly, which lasted only one season.


Parton has also done voice work for animation,
such as playing herself in the TV series Alvin &
the Chipmunks (episode: Urban Chipmunk) (1987 in
television|1987) and her voice role as Katrina
Eloise "Murph" Murphy in The Magic School Bus
(episode: The Family Holiday Special) (1996 in
television|1996).

Standing at 5 feet (152 cm), Parton's physical
trademark is her large bust. She has often mocked
this reputation with quips such as "I would have
burned my bra in the 60s, but it would have taken
the fire department three days to put it out," or
"The reason I have a small waist and small feet is
that nothing grows well in the shade."

In 1992 in music|1992, "I Will Always Love You"
was performed by Whitney Houston on The Bodyguard
soundtrack. Houston's version became the
best-selling hit ever written and performed by a
female vocalist, with worldwide sales of
$12,000,000. As Parton owned the song, she raked
in huge profits from Houston's cover. The song was
also covered by music legend Kenny Rogers on his
1997 in music|1997 album "Always and Forever,"
which sold over 4 million copies worldwide.

Parton's last starring role in a film was in 1992
in film|1992's Straight Talk, opposite James
Woods. She played the plainspoken host of a radio
program that has people phoning-in with problems.
She later played an overprotective mother in Frank
McKlusky, C.I. with Dave Sheridan, Cameron
Richardson, and Randy Quaid.

After being dropped by country radio stations'
playlists in the mid-1990s, she rediscovered her
roots by recording a series of critically
acclaimed Bluegrass music|bluegrass albums,
beginning with "The Grass is Blue" (1999) and
including Grammy-winning "Little Sparrow" (2001 in
music|2001), which was the theme tune of the very
popular movie of the same name. Her 2002 in
music|2002 album "Halos and Horns" included a
bluegrass version of the Led Zeppelin classic
Stairway to Heaven.

== Business ==

Parton is a shrewd businesswoman. She invested
much of her earnings into business ventures in her
native East Tennessee, notably Pigeon Forge,
Tennessee|Pigeon Forge, which includes a theme
park named Dollywood and a dinner show called
Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede, resulting in a
thriving tourism industry that draws visitors from
large parts of the Southeastern and Midwestern
United States, notably Tennessee, Kentucky and
Ohio. This region of the U.S., like most areas of
Appalachia, traditionally has been characterized
by economic poverty. Thus, Parton put something
back into the community where she was born and
raised.


She has reportedly turned down several offers to
pose for Playboy magazine and similar
publications. Although she has admitted to having
some amounts of Plastic surgery|cosmetic surgery
(notably a breast lift), rumors that she had
breast augmentation surgery remain
unsubstantiated.

Parton, alongside Johnny Cash, is one of the few
country stars to be admired and acclaimed by Fan
(aficionado)|fans from all walks of life. She said
that she has long admired the look of some
outcasts from society (such as prostitutes, whose
long fingernails and big blonde wigs inspired
her), which has continued into her adult years. 

Her work of the late 1990s and beyond has moved
towards bluegrass and more traditional folk
styles.

== Honors ==

She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for
Recording at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard in
Hollywood, California|Hollywood; a star on the
Nashville Star Walk for Grammy winners; and a
bronze sculpture on the courthouse lawn in
Sevierville, Tennessee.

Parton was honored in 2003 with a tribute album
called "Just Because I'm a Woman." The artists who
recorded versions of Dolly's songs include Melissa
Ethridge ("I Will Always Love You"), Allison Kraus
("9 to 5"), Shania Twain ("Coat of Many Colors"),
Me'Shell NdegeOcello ("Two Doors Down"), Nora
Jones ("The Grass is Blue"), and Sinead O'Connor
("Dagger Through the Heart"). 

Dolly Parton was awarded the Living Legend medal
by the U.S. Library of Congress on April 14, 2004,
for her contributions to the cultural heritage of
the United States.

==Hit singles==
*1967 in music|1967 "The Last Thing on My Mind"
(with Porter Wagoner) (#7 COUNTRY)
*1968 in music|1968 "We'll Get Ahead Someday"
(with Porter Wagoner) (#5 COUNTRY)
*1969 in music|1969 "Just Someone I Used to Know"
(with Porter Wagoner) (#7 COUNTRY)
*1970 in music|1970 "Mule Skinner Blues" (#3
COUNTRY)
*1970 in music|1970 "Joshua (song)" #108 U.S. (#1
COUNTRY)
*1971 in music|1971 "Better Move it On Home" (with
Porter Wagoner) (#7 COUNTRY)
*1971 in music|1971 "Coat of Many Colors" (#4
COUNTRY)
*1972 in music|1972 "Touch Your Woman" (#6
COUNTRY)
*1973 in music|1973 "If Teardrops Were Pennies
(and Heartaches were Gold" (with Porter Wagoner)
(#3 COUNTRY)
*1973 in music|1973 "Jolene" #44 U.S. (#1 COUNTRY)
*1974 in music|1974 "I Will Always Love You" (#1
COUNTRY)
*1974 in music|1974 "Please Don't Stop Loving Me"
(#1 COUNTRY)
*1975 in music|1975 "The Bargain Store" (#1
COUNTRY)
*1975 in music|1975 "The Seeker" (#2 COUNTRY)
*1976 in music|1976 "It's All I Can Do" (#3
COUNTRY)
*1977 in music|1977 "Here You Come Again" #3 U.S.
(#1 COUNTRY)
*1978 in music|1978 "Two Doors Down" #19 U.S. (#1
COUNTRY)
*1978 in music|1978 "Heartbreaker" #12 U.S. (#1
COUNTRY)
*1979 in music|1979 "Baby I'm Burning" #25 U.S.
*1979 in music|1979 "You're the Only One" (#1
COUNTRY)
*1980 in music|1980 "Starting Over Again" #35 U.S.
(#1 COUNTRY)
*1980 in music|1980 "Old Flames Can't Hold a
Candle to You  (#1 COUNTRY)
*1981 in music|1981 "9 to 5" #1 U.S. (#1 COUNTRY)
*1981 in music|1981 "But You Know I Love You" #41
U.S. (#1 COUNTRY)
*1982 in music|1982 "Single Women" (#8 COUNTRY)
*1983 in music|1983 "Everything's Beautiful" (with
Willie Nelson) (#7 COUNTRY)
*1982 in music|1982 "I Will Always Love You" (1982
recording)  #53 U.S. (#1 COUNTRY)
*1983 in music|1983 "Islands in the Stream" (with
Kenny Rogers) #1 U.S., #7 UK (#1 COUNTRY)
*1984 in music|1984 "Save the Last Dance for Me"
(#3 COUNTRY)
*1984 in music|1984 "Tennessee  Homesick Blues"
(#1 COUNTRY)
*1985 in music|1985 "Don't Call it Love" (#3
COUNTRY)
*1985 in music|1985 "Real Love" (#1 COUNTRY)
*1986 in music|1986 "Think About Love" (#1
COUNTRY)
*1987 in music|1987 "To Know Him is to Love Him"
(with Emmylou Harris) and Linda Ronstadt) (#1
COUNTRY)
*1987 in music|1987 "Telling Me Lies" (with
Emmylou Harris) and Linda Ronstadt) (#3 COUNTRY)
*1988 in music|1988 "Wildflowers" (with Emmylou
Harris) and Linda Ronstadt) (#1 COUNTRY)
*1989 in music|1989 "Why'd Ya' Come In Here
Lookin' Like That?" (#1 COUNTRY)
*1989 in music|1989 "Yellow Roses" (#1 COUNTRY)
*1991 in music|1991 "Rockin' Years" (#1 COUNTRY)

==Charting albums==
*1978 in music|1978 "Heartbreaker" #27 U.S.
*1978 in music|1978 "Here You Come Again" #20 U.S.
*1978 in music|1978 "Dolly Parton/Both Sides" #24
UK
*1979 in music|1979 "Great Balls of Fire" #40 U.S.
*1981 in music|1981 "9 to 5 and Odd Jobs" #11 U.S.
*1991 in music|1991 "Eagle When She Flies" #24
U.S.
*1993 in music|1993 "Honky Tonk Angels" #42 U.S.
*1993 in music|1993 "Slow Dancing with the Moon"
#16 U.S.
*1997 in music|1997 "A Life in Music - Ultimate
Collection" #38 UK
*2001 in music|2001 "Little Sparrow" #30 UK
*2001 in music|2001 "Gold - The Hits Collection"
#23 UK
*2002 in music|2002 "Halos & Horns" #37 UK
*2003 in music|2003 "Ultimate" #17 UK

==Filmography==
*Nine to Five|9 to 5 (1980 in film|1980) ...
Doralee Rhodes
*The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982 in
film|1982) ... Mona Stangley
*Rhinestone (1984 film)|Rhinestone (1984 in
film|1984) ... Jake
*Steel Magnolias (1989 in film|1989) ... Truvy
Jones
*Straight Talk (1992 in film|1992) ... Shirlee
Kenyon
*The Beverly Hillbillies (1993 movie)|The Beverly
Hillbillies (1993 in film|1993) ... cameo as
herself
*Frank McKlusky, C.I. (2002 in film|2002) ...
Edith McKlusky
*Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005 in
film|2005) .. cameo as herself

==TV filmography==
*A Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986 in
television|1986) ... Lorna Davis
*Wild Texas Wind (1991 in television|1991) ...
Thiola "Big T" Rayfield
*Unlikely Angel (1996 in television|1996) ... Ruby
Diamond
*Blue Valley Songbird (1999 in television|1999)
... Leanna Taylor

==TV series==
*Heavens to Betsy (1994 TV series)|Heavens to
Betsy (1994 in television|1994) (comedy) ...
regular
*Mindin' My Own Business (1996 in television|1996)
(comedy) ... regular

==TV music & variety==
*The Porter Wagoner Show (1967 in
television|1967-1974 in television|1974) (country
music) ... regular singer
*Dolly (1976 TV series)|Dolly (1976 in
television|1976) (variety) ... host
*Dolly (TV series)|Dolly (1987 in
television|1987-1988 in television|1988) (variety)
... host

==Documentaries==
*The Nashville Sound (1970 in film|1970)
*Heartsong (1995 in film|1995)
*Our Country (2002 in film|2002)
*Uncut: The True Story of Hair (2002 in film|2002)

==Trivia==
*The Dolly the sheep|first cloned mammal was a
sheep named "Dolly" in honor of Dolly Parton,
because it was cloned from a mammary gland|mammary
cell (biology)|cell.

==See also==
*Academy of Country Music
*Country Music Association
*Country Music Hall of Fame
*List of country music performers
*List of best-selling music artists

==External links==

*http://www.dollyon-line.com/ Dolly Parton On-Line
*imdb name|id=0000573|name=Dolly Parton
*http://www.dollymania.net/ Dollymania: An online
newsmagazine on Parton
*http://www.dollywood.com/ Official Dollywood
Website

	Web Quotableonline.com Frasescelebres.org Greatbookscollection.org

Dolly Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an United
States|American country music|country singer,
songwriter, composer and Actor|actress.



== Background ==
She was born Dolly Rebecca Parton in Sevierville,
Tennessee|Sevierville, Tennessee, the fourth of
twelve children born to Robert Lee Parton and Alvy
Lee Owens, and grew up "dirt poor" in a one-room
cabin.

Parton was raised Assembly of God, a Pentecostal
religious denomination|denomination, and music was
a very large part of her church experience. She
once told an interviewer that her grandfather was
a Pentecostal "Holy Roller" preacher and today,
when appearing in live concerts in the Southern
United States|South, she frequently performs the
"Holy Roller" song "Go To Hell." Parton, however,
professes no religion, claiming to be only
Christianity|Christian while adding that she
believes everyone on the planet are God's
children. 

She began her entertainment career as a child,
singing on local radio programming|radio and
television program|television in East Tennessee.
She also recorded on a small record label|label
and appeared at the Grand Ole Opry. When she
graduated from high school in 1964 she moved to
Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville, taking many
traditional folkloric elements and popular music
from East Tennessee with her.

On May 30, 1966, she and Carl Dean, who ran an
asphalt-paving business, were married in Ringgold,
Georgia. She has remained with the same husband,
who has always shunned publicity and stayed in the
background.

== Early Career ==

She initially signed with Monument Records, where
she recorded a series of singles that failed to
chart, before finally having a hit with "Dumb
Blonde" (one of the few songs she recorded during
this period that she did not write herself), which
reached the country top 20 in 1967 in music|1967.


That same year, Parton was asked to join the
weekly syndicated country music TV program hosted
by Porter Wagoner, with whom she became half of a
highly successful duet team. She also signed with
RCA|RCA Records, Wagoner's label, during this
period, where she would remain for the next two
decades. Their first single together, a cover of
Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing on My Mind," reached
the top ten on the United States|U.S. country
Billboard magazine|charts in late 1967, and was
the first of over a dozen duet singles to chart
for them during the next several years.

Parton is a hugely successful songwriter, having
begun by writing country songs with strong
elements of folk music in them based upon her
upbringing in humble mountain surroundings. Her
songs "Coat of Many Colors" and "Jolene" have
become classics in the field, as have a number of
others.

She stayed with the Wagoner show and continued to
record duets with him for seven years, then made a
break to become a solo artist. In 1974 in
music|1974, her song "I Will Always Love You" was
released and went to #1 on the country charts,
though the single did not "crossover" to the pop
charts (as "Jolene" had done). Around the same
time, Elvis Presley indicated that he wanted to
cover the song. Parton was interested until
Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, told her
that she would have to sign over half of the
publishing rights if Elvis recorded the song (as
was the standard procedure for songs Elvis
recorded).  Parton refused and that decision is
credited with helping make her many millions of
dollars in royalties from the song over the years.

During the mid-1970s, Dolly had her eyes set on
expanding her audience base. The first step
towards meeting this goal was her attempt a
variety show, Dolly (1976 TV series)|Dolly. The
show lasted merely one season, with Dolly asking
out of her contract due to the stress it was
causing her vocal chords.

== Breakout ==

Despite originally being typecast in many circles
as a "Country and Western" singer, Parton later
had even greater commercial success as a pop
music|pop singer and actress. Her 1977 in
music|1977 single "Here You Come Again" became her
first top-ten single on the pop charts, and many
of her subsequent singles charted on both pop and
country charts simultaneously.  


In 1980 in film|1980, Jane Fonda decided Parton
was a perfect candidate for her upcoming film,
Nine to Five|9 to 5. She was looking for a brassy
Southern United States|Southern woman for a
supporting role and felt the singer was perfect.
Parton was signed, and went on to steal the
notices and score a major hit with the title song.

She wrote and performed "9 to 5," which earned her
an Academy Award nomination for Academy Award for
Best Song|Best Original Song. She received a
Golden Globe Award|Golden Globe nomination for
Best Original Song - Motion Picture. And she won
two Grammy Awards, for Best Female Country Vocal
Performance and Best Country Song. It reached #1
on the Billboard Hot 100 and was also #78 on
American Film Institute's 100 years, 100 songs.

She also received Golden Globe nominations for
Best Motion Picture Actress - Musical/Comedy and
New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture - Female.

Parton was very selective about her future film
material, and had successes opposite Burt Reynolds
in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982 in
film|1982), for which she received another Golden
Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion
Picture - Comedy/Musical, and in the supporting
role as Truvy in Steel Magnolias (1989 in
film|1989) co-starring Sally Field, Shirley
MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, and Julia
Roberts.

In 1982 in music|1982, she recorded a second
version of "I Will Always Love You" for The Best
Little Whorehouse in Texas; the second version
proved to be another #1 country hit and also
managed to reach the pop charts, going to #53 in
the United States.

In 1986 in music|1986, she was inducted into the
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

The following year, along with Emmylou Harris and
Linda Ronstadt, she released the
decade-in-the-making Trio album to critical
acclaim.  Also in 1987 in music|1987, Parton
switched record labels, moving from RCA to
Columbia Records, and took a second stab at her
own TV variety show, also titled Dolly (TV
series)|Dolly, which lasted only one season.


Parton has also done voice work for animation,
such as playing herself in the TV series Alvin &
the Chipmunks (episode: Urban Chipmunk) (1987 in
television|1987) and her voice role as Katrina
Eloise "Murph" Murphy in The Magic School Bus
(episode: The Family Holiday Special) (1996 in
television|1996).

Standing at 5 feet (152 cm), Parton's physical
trademark is her large bust. She has often mocked
this reputation with quips such as "I would have
burned my bra in the 60s, but it would have taken
the fire department three days to put it out," or
"The reason I have a small waist and small feet is
that nothing grows well in the shade."

In 1992 in music|1992, "I Will Always Love You"
was performed by Whitney Houston on The Bodyguard
soundtrack. Houston's version became the
best-selling hit ever written and performed by a
female vocalist, with worldwide sales of
$12,000,000. As Parton owned the song, she raked
in huge profits from Houston's cover. The song was
also covered by music legend Kenny Rogers on his
1997 in music|1997 album "Always and Forever,"
which sold over 4 million copies worldwide.

Parton's last starring role in a film was in 1992
in film|1992's Straight Talk, opposite James
Woods. She played the plainspoken host of a radio
program that has people phoning-in with problems.
She later played an overprotective mother in Frank
McKlusky, C.I. with Dave Sheridan, Cameron
Richardson, and Randy Quaid.

After being dropped by country radio stations'
playlists in the mid-1990s, she rediscovered her
roots by recording a series of critically
acclaimed Bluegrass music|bluegrass albums,
beginning with "The Grass is Blue" (1999) and
including Grammy-winning "Little Sparrow" (2001 in
music|2001), which was the theme tune of the very
popular movie of the same name. Her 2002 in
music|2002 album "Halos and Horns" included a
bluegrass version of the Led Zeppelin classic
Stairway to Heaven.

== Business ==

Parton is a shrewd businesswoman. She invested
much of her earnings into business ventures in her
native East Tennessee, notably Pigeon Forge,
Tennessee|Pigeon Forge, which includes a theme
park named Dollywood and a dinner show called
Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede, resulting in a
thriving tourism industry that draws visitors from
large parts of the Southeastern and Midwestern
United States, notably Tennessee, Kentucky and
Ohio. This region of the U.S., like most areas of
Appalachia, traditionally has been characterized
by economic poverty. Thus, Parton put something
back into the community where she was born and
raised.


She has reportedly turned down several offers to
pose for Playboy magazine and similar
publications. Although she has admitted to having
some amounts of Plastic surgery|cosmetic surgery
(notably a breast lift), rumors that she had
breast augmentation surgery remain
unsubstantiated.

Parton, alongside Johnny Cash, is one of the few
country stars to be admired and acclaimed by Fan
(aficionado)|fans from all walks of life. She said
that she has long admired the look of some
outcasts from society (such as prostitutes, whose
long fingernails and big blonde wigs inspired
her), which has continued into her adult years. 

Her work of the late 1990s and beyond has moved
towards bluegrass and more traditional folk
styles.

== Honors ==

She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for
Recording at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard in
Hollywood, California|Hollywood; a star on the
Nashville Star Walk for Grammy winners; and a
bronze sculpture on the courthouse lawn in
Sevierville, Tennessee.

Parton was honored in 2003 with a tribute album
called "Just Because I'm a Woman." The artists who
recorded versions of Dolly's songs include Melissa
Ethridge ("I Will Always Love You"), Allison Kraus
("9 to 5"), Shania Twain ("Coat of Many Colors"),
Me'Shell NdegeOcello ("Two Doors Down"), Nora
Jones ("The Grass is Blue"), and Sinead O'Connor
("Dagger Through the Heart"). 

Dolly Parton was awarded the Living Legend medal
by the U.S. Library of Congress on April 14, 2004,
for her contributions to the cultural heritage of
the United States.

==Hit singles==
*1967 in music|1967 "The Last Thing on My Mind"
(with Porter Wagoner) (#7 COUNTRY)
*1968 in music|1968 "We'll Get Ahead Someday"
(with Porter Wagoner) (#5 COUNTRY)
*1969 in music|1969 "Just Someone I Used to Know"
(with Porter Wagoner) (#7 COUNTRY)
*1970 in music|1970 "Mule Skinner Blues" (#3
COUNTRY)
*1970 in music|1970 "Joshua (song)" #108 U.S. (#1
COUNTRY)
*1971 in music|1971 "Better Move it On Home" (with
Porter Wagoner) (#7 COUNTRY)
*1971 in music|1971 "Coat of Many Colors" (#4
COUNTRY)
*1972 in music|1972 "Touch Your Woman" (#6
COUNTRY)
*1973 in music|1973 "If Teardrops Were Pennies
(and Heartaches were Gold" (with Porter Wagoner)
(#3 COUNTRY)
*1973 in music|1973 "Jolene" #44 U.S. (#1 COUNTRY)
*1974 in music|1974 "I Will Always Love You" (#1
COUNTRY)
*1974 in music|1974 "Please Don't Stop Loving Me"
(#1 COUNTRY)
*1975 in music|1975 "The Bargain Store" (#1
COUNTRY)
*1975 in music|1975 "The Seeker" (#2 COUNTRY)
*1976 in music|1976 "It's All I Can Do" (#3
COUNTRY)
*1977 in music|1977 "Here You Come Again" #3 U.S.
(#1 COUNTRY)
*1978 in music|1978 "Two Doors Down" #19 U.S. (#1
COUNTRY)
*1978 in music|1978 "Heartbreaker" #12 U.S. (#1
COUNTRY)
*1979 in music|1979 "Baby I'm Burning" #25 U.S.
*1979 in music|1979 "You're the Only One" (#1
COUNTRY)
*1980 in music|1980 "Starting Over Again" #35 U.S.
(#1 COUNTRY)
*1980 in music|1980 "Old Flames Can't Hold a
Candle to You  (#1 COUNTRY)
*1981 in music|1981 "9 to 5" #1 U.S. (#1 COUNTRY)
*1981 in music|1981 "But You Know I Love You" #41
U.S. (#1 COUNTRY)
*1982 in music|1982 "Single Women" (#8 COUNTRY)
*1983 in music|1983 "Everything's Beautiful" (with
Willie Nelson) (#7 COUNTRY)
*1982 in music|1982 "I Will Always Love You" (1982
recording)  #53 U.S. (#1 COUNTRY)
*1983 in music|1983 "Islands in the Stream" (with
Kenny Rogers) #1 U.S., #7 UK (#1 COUNTRY)
*1984 in music|1984 "Save the Last Dance for Me"
(#3 COUNTRY)
*1984 in music|1984 "Tennessee  Homesick Blues"
(#1 COUNTRY)
*1985 in music|1985 "Don't Call it Love" (#3
COUNTRY)
*1985 in music|1985 "Real Love" (#1 COUNTRY)
*1986 in music|1986 "Think About Love" (#1
COUNTRY)
*1987 in music|1987 "To Know Him is to Love Him"
(with Emmylou Harris) and Linda Ronstadt) (#1
COUNTRY)
*1987 in music|1987 "Telling Me Lies" (with
Emmylou Harris) and Linda Ronstadt) (#3 COUNTRY)
*1988 in music|1988 "Wildflowers" (with Emmylou
Harris) and Linda Ronstadt) (#1 COUNTRY)
*1989 in music|1989 "Why'd Ya' Come In Here
Lookin' Like That?" (#1 COUNTRY)
*1989 in music|1989 "Yellow Roses" (#1 COUNTRY)
*1991 in music|1991 "Rockin' Years" (#1 COUNTRY)

==Charting albums==
*1978 in music|1978 "Heartbreaker" #27 U.S.
*1978 in music|1978 "Here You Come Again" #20 U.S.
*1978 in music|1978 "Dolly Parton/Both Sides" #24
UK
*1979 in music|1979 "Great Balls of Fire" #40 U.S.
*1981 in music|1981 "9 to 5 and Odd Jobs" #11 U.S.
*1991 in music|1991 "Eagle When She Flies" #24
U.S.
*1993 in music|1993 "Honky Tonk Angels" #42 U.S.
*1993 in music|1993 "Slow Dancing with the Moon"
#16 U.S.
*1997 in music|1997 "A Life in Music - Ultimate
Collection" #38 UK
*2001 in music|2001 "Little Sparrow" #30 UK
*2001 in music|2001 "Gold - The Hits Collection"
#23 UK
*2002 in music|2002 "Halos & Horns" #37 UK
*2003 in music|2003 "Ultimate" #17 UK

==Filmography==
*Nine to Five|9 to 5 (1980 in film|1980) ...
Doralee Rhodes
*The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982 in
film|1982) ... Mona Stangley
*Rhinestone (1984 film)|Rhinestone (1984 in
film|1984) ... Jake
*Steel Magnolias (1989 in film|1989) ... Truvy
Jones
*Straight Talk (1992 in film|1992) ... Shirlee
Kenyon
*The Beverly Hillbillies (1993 movie)|The Beverly
Hillbillies (1993 in film|1993) ... cameo as
herself
*Frank McKlusky, C.I. (2002 in film|2002) ...
Edith McKlusky
*Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005 in
film|2005) .. cameo as herself

==TV filmography==
*A Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986 in
television|1986) ... Lorna Davis
*Wild Texas Wind (1991 in television|1991) ...
Thiola "Big T" Rayfield
*Unlikely Angel (1996 in television|1996) ... Ruby
Diamond
*Blue Valley Songbird (1999 in television|1999)
... Leanna Taylor

==TV series==
*Heavens to Betsy (1994 TV series)|Heavens to
Betsy (1994 in television|1994) (comedy) ...
regular
*Mindin' My Own Business (1996 in television|1996)
(comedy) ... regular

==TV music & variety==
*The Porter Wagoner Show (1967 in
television|1967-1974 in television|1974) (country
music) ... regular singer
*Dolly (1976 TV series)|Dolly (1976 in
television|1976) (variety) ... host
*Dolly (TV series)|Dolly (1987 in
television|1987-1988 in television|1988) (variety)
... host

==Documentaries==
*The Nashville Sound (1970 in film|1970)
*Heartsong (1995 in film|1995)
*Our Country (2002 in film|2002)
*Uncut: The True Story of Hair (2002 in film|2002)

==Trivia==
*The Dolly the sheep|first cloned mammal was a
sheep named "Dolly" in honor of Dolly Parton,
because it was cloned from a mammary gland|mammary
cell (biology)|cell.

==See also==
*Academy of Country Music
*Country Music Association
*Country Music Hall of Fame
*List of country music performers
*List of best-selling music artists

==External links==

*http://www.dollyon-line.com/ Dolly Parton On-Line
*imdb name|id=0000573|name=Dolly Parton
*http://www.dollymania.net/ Dollymania: An online
newsmagazine on Parton
*http://www.dollywood.com/ Official Dollywood
Website