Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily for her decades-long career in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album debut in 1967 with Hello, I’m Dolly, which led to success during the remainder of the 1960s
| Name | Dolly Rebecca Parton |
| Life Partner | Carl Thomas Dean |
| Age | 78 years |
| Date of Birth | January 19, 1946 |
| Home Town | Sevierville, Tennessee |
| Profession | Singer, writer, actress, and philanthropist |
Early Life
Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on January 19, 1946, in a one-room cabin on the banks of the Little Pigeon River in Pittman Center, Tennessee. She is the fourth of 12 children born to Avie Lee Caroline and Robert Lee Parton Sr. Parton’s middle name comes from her maternal great-grandmother Rebecca Whitted. Parton’s father, known as “Lee”, worked in the mountains of East Tennessee, first as a sharecropper and later he opened his own small tobacco farm and acreage. He also worked construction jobs to supplement the farm’s small income. Despite her father’s illiteracy, Parton has often commented that he was one of the smartest people she has ever known in the bussiness and making profit.
Parton began his carrer performing as a child, singing on local radio and small television programs in the East Tennessee area. By ten, she was appearing on The Cas Walker Show on both WIVK Radio and WBIR-TV in Knoxville, Tennessee. At 13, she was recording (the single “Puppy Love“) on a small Louisiana label, Goldband Records, and appeared at the Grand Ole Opry, where she first met Johnny Cash, who encouraged her to follow her own instincts regarding her career.
Stuggle In Career
After graduating from Sevier County High School in 1964, Parton moved to Nashville the next day. Her initial success came as a songwriter, having signed with Combine Publishing shortly after her arrival; with her frequent songwriting partner, her uncle Bill Owens, she wrote several charting singles during this time, including two Top 10 hits for Bill Phillips: “Put It Off Until Tomorrow,” and “The Company You Keep” (1966), and Skeeter Davis’s number 11 hit “Fuel to the Flame” in 1967. Her songs were recorded by many other artists during this period, such as Kitty Wells and Hank Williams Jr. She signed with Monument Records in 1965, at age 19; she initially was pitched as a bubblegum pop singer. She released a string of singles, but the only one that charted, “Happy, Happy Birthday Baby”, did not crack the Billboard Hot 100. Although she expressed a desire to record country material, Monument resisted, thinking her unique, high soprano voice was not suited to the genre.
After her composition “Put It Off Until Tomorrow”, as recorded by Bill Phillips (with Parton, uncredited, on harmony), went to number six on the country chart in 1966, the label relented and allowed her to record country. Her first country single, “Dumb Blonde” (composed by Curly Putman, one of the few songs during this era that she recorded but did not write), reached number 24 on the country chart in 1967, followed by “Something Fishy”, which went to number 17. The two songs appeared on her first full-length album, Hello, I’m Dolly.
Music Struggle
In 1967, musician and her country’s music entertainer Porter Wagoner invited Parton to join his organization, offering her a regular spot on his weekly syndicated television program The Porter Wagoner Show, and in his road show. As documented in her 1994 autobiography, initially, much of Wagoner’s audience was unhappy that Norma Jean, the performer later whom Parton had replaced, had left the show, and was reluctant to accept Parton (sometimes chanting loudly for Norma Jean from the audience). With Wagoner’s assistance, however, Parton was eventually accepted. Wagoner convinced his label, RCA Victor, to sign her. RCA decided to protect their investment by releasing her first single as a duet with Wagoner(Music artist). That song, a remake of Tom Paxton’s “The Last Thing on My Mind”, released in late 1967, reached the country Top 10 in January 1968.
Faimly
Parton is the fourth of 12 children. Her siblings are Willadeene, David Wilburn (late), Coy Denver, Robert Lee, Stella, Cassie Nan, Randel (late), Larry Gerald (late), twins Floyd Estel (late) and Frieda Estelle, and Rachel.
Legacy
Often called “The Queen of Appalachia,” the popular country singer and all-around angel Dolly Parton was born January 19th, 1946. The 4th of 12 children, Dolly grew up poor in the Great Smoky Mountains in eastern Tennessee. She started singing and performing at a young age and belive that she will success one day. The day after her high school graduation, Dolly moved to Nashville to become a country singer. With a career spanning more than 50 years, Parton has composed over 3,000 songs, won numerous awards, including multiple Grammys and two Academy Awards, and capture the heart of America.
