Dolly Parton

Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean (January 19, 1946 – August 25, 2026) was an American singer-songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. Known as the "Queen of Country," she was one of the most successful country music performers in history, selling more than 100 million records worldwide. Parton was also widely recognized for her cultural influence and philanthropy, particularly through her theme park Dollywood and the Dollywood Foundation. Over her career, she released 49 studio albums and wrote more than 3,000 songs.

Parton was born in a one-room cabin in Pittman Center, Tennessee, as the fourth of 12 children to Avie Lee Caroline and Robert Lee Parton. Raised in a impoverished household, she developed an early passion for music influenced by her mother's singing and her grandfather's Pentecostal church. Parton wrote her first song at age six, played a homemade guitar at seven, and received her first real guitar at eight. By age 10, she was performing on local radio and television programs, including The Cas Walker Show, and at 13 she made her first recording and appeared at the Grand Ole Opry. She moved to Nashville in 1964, one day after graduating from Sevier County High School.

In Nashville, Parton initially found success as a songwriter with Combine Publishing before signing as a recording artist with Monument Records and releasing her debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly, in 1967. That same year, she joined The Porter Wagoner Show, beginning a successful weekly television and musical partnership. Parton achieved her first solo number-one country hit with "Joshua" in 1971, followed by signature releases such as "Coat of Many Colors," "Jolene," and "I Will Always Love You." She left Wagoner's show in 1974 to pursue a full-time solo career, notably retaining her lucrative song publishing rights.

During the mid-to-late 1970s, Parton launched a pop-crossover campaign under the management of Sandy Gallin. Her 1977 album, Here You Come Again, became her first million-seller and earned her a Grammy Award. She reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with "9 to 5" and her Kenny Rogers duet "Islands in the Stream." Parton continued to record for decades, eventually releasing her highest-charting Billboard 200 album, Rockstar, in 2023.

Beyond music, Parton built a prominent film and television career. She starred in movies including 9 to 5 (1980), The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), Rhinestone (1984), Steel Magnolias (1989), Straight Talk (1992), and Joyful Noise (2012). Her television credits include guest roles on Reba and Grace and Frankie, playing Aunt Dolly on Hannah Montana, hosting Saturday Night Live, and producing and starring in the Netflix film Christmas on the Square (2021). On Broadway, she composed the music and lyrics for 9 to 5: The Musical (2009).

Over nearly 60 years in entertainment, Parton logged 25 number-one Billboard country singles, 44 top-10 country albums, and 110 career-charted singles. Her accolades include 11 Grammy Awards, three Emmy Awards, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1984), the National Medal of Arts (2004), a Kennedy Center Honor (2006), the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2011), and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award (2025).