Dolly Parton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dolly Parton
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Parton in 2010
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Dolly Rebecca Parton
January 19, 1946 |
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| Years active | 1956–present |
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Carl Dean
(m. 1966; died 2025) |
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| Awards | Full list |
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| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
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Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and generous helper of others. She is mostly known for her amazing country music. Dolly started her career with her first album, Hello, I'm Dolly, in 1967. Since then, she has released 50 studio albums over 60 years! Her latest solo album, Rockstar (2023), became her highest-ranking album on the Billboard 200 chart, reaching number three.
Dolly Parton is called a "country legend" because she has sold over 100 million records around the world. This makes her one of the top-selling music artists of all time. Many of her songs have earned gold, platinum, and multi-platinum awards. She has had 25 songs reach number one on the Billboard country music charts, which is a record for a female artist. She also has 44 Top 10 country albums, which is a record for any artist. Parton has written more than 3,000 songs, including famous ones like "I Will Always Love You" (which was also a huge hit for Whitney Houston), "Jolene", "Coat of Many Colors", and "9 to 5". As an actress, she has starred in movies like 9 to 5 (1980) and The Best Little ... in Texas (1982). She was nominated for a Best Actress award for both films. She also appeared in Rhinestone (1984), Steel Magnolias (1989), Straight Talk (1992), and Joyful Noise (2012).
Parton received the National Medal of Arts in 2005. She has won many awards, including eleven Grammy Awards, ten Country Music Association Awards (including Entertainer of the Year), five Academy of Country Music Awards, four People's Choice Awards, three American Music Awards, and two Emmy Awards. She has also been nominated for two Academy Awards and a Tony Award.
Dolly Parton is one of the few performers to be nominated for all four major entertainment awards: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT). She has won Grammys and Emmys. She is only a Tony Award away from achieving full EGOT status. Besides her music and film work, she also helps run The Dollywood Company. This company manages fun places like the Dollywood theme park, the Splash Country water park, and dinner theater shows like The Dolly Parton Stampede. She has also started many charities, especially the Dollywood Foundation. This foundation helps with education and poverty relief in East Tennessee, where she grew up.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on January 19, 1946. She grew up in a small, one-room cabin in Pittman Center, Tennessee. She was the fourth of 12 children born to Avie Lee Caroline and Robert Lee Parton Sr. Dolly's father worked hard as a farmer and in construction. Even though he couldn't read, Dolly says he was very smart about business.
Dolly's mother took care of their big family. She had 12 children by the time she was 35. Dolly believes her musical talent comes from her mother, who would sing old Smoky Mountain folklore and ballads. Her mother's family had Welsh ancestors and knew many old songs from the British Isles. Dolly's grandfather was a Pentecostal preacher, and Dolly and her siblings went to church often. When Dolly was young, her family moved to a farm on Locust Ridge. A copy of this cabin is now at her theme park, Dollywood. This farm inspired her song "My Tennessee Mountain Home".
Dolly has said her family was "dirt poor." Her father even paid the doctor who delivered her with a sack of cornmeal. Dolly wrote songs about her family's poverty, like "Coat of Many Colors" and "In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)". Music was a big part of her early life. She started singing in church at age six and playing a homemade guitar at seven. When she was eight, her uncle bought her first real guitar. After finishing high school in 1964, Dolly moved to Nashville the very next day to start her music career.
Music Career Journey
Early Songs and First Steps
Dolly started performing as a child on local radio and TV shows in East Tennessee. By age ten, she was on The Cas Walker Show. At 13, she recorded her first song, "Puppy Love," and appeared at the Grand Ole Opry. There, she met Johnny Cash, who told her to trust her own musical ideas.
Dolly first became successful as a songwriter. She wrote many songs with her uncle, Bill Owens. Some of these became Top 10 hits for other singers, like "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" for Bill Phillips. Many artists, including Kitty Wells and Hank Williams Jr., recorded her songs. In 1965, at age 19, she signed with Monument Records. They first wanted her to sing bubblegum pop, but her songs didn't do well on the charts.
After her song "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" became a country hit in 1966, Monument Records let her record country music. Her first country song, "Dumb Blonde," reached number 24 on the country chart in 1967. This was followed by "Something Fishy," which reached number 17. These songs were on her first album, Hello, I'm Dolly.
Rising to Country Stardom
In 1967, country star Porter Wagoner asked Dolly to join his TV show, The Porter Wagoner Show. At first, many fans missed the previous singer, but Dolly soon won them over. Wagoner helped her sign with RCA Victor records. They decided her first song for the label would be a duet with Wagoner. Their song, "The Last Thing on My Mind" (1967), became a Top 10 country hit. This started a six-year period of many Top 10 songs for them as a duo.
Dolly's first solo song for RCA Victor, "Just Because I'm a Woman" (1968), was a moderate hit. For the next two years, her solo songs were not as successful as her duets with Wagoner. In 1968, the duo won Vocal Group of the Year. Wagoner had a big part in Dolly's career, co-producing her music and owning part of her publishing company.
By 1970, Dolly and Wagoner wanted her solo career to grow. Wagoner suggested she record "Mule Skinner Blues", which became a number three hit. In 1971, her first number-one solo song, "Joshua", came out. For the next two years, she had many solo hits, including her famous song "Coat of Many Colors" (number four, 1971).
Her biggest hit during this time was "Jolene", released in late 1973. It became a number one country song in 1974 and also did well in the U.K. Dolly had always wanted a solo career, so she decided to leave Wagoner's show in mid-1974. They still released duet albums, with their last one being Say Forever You'll Be Mine in 1975.
In 1974, her song "I Will Always Love You", which she wrote about leaving Wagoner, also went to number one. Around this time, Elvis Presley wanted to record the song. Dolly was interested, but his manager wanted half of her songwriting rights. Dolly refused, a decision that has earned her millions of dollars in royalties over the years. In 1974, Dolly had three number-one solo hits: "Jolene", "I Will Always Love You", and "Love Is Like a Butterfly". She also had a number-one duet with Porter Wagoner, "Please Don't Stop Loving Me". Dolly topped the charts again in 1975 with "The Bargain Store".
Moving Towards Pop Music
From 1974 to 1980, Dolly had many country hits, with eight songs reaching number one. Many artists, including Olivia Newton-John and Linda Ronstadt, covered her songs.
Dolly then started to make her music more popular with a wider audience, not just country fans. In 1976, she began working with Sandy Gallin, who was her manager for 25 years. With her 1976 album All I Can Do, Dolly started to take a bigger role in producing her music and aimed for a more mainstream, pop sound. Her first album produced entirely by herself, New Harvest...First Gathering (1977), showed her pop style. It included covers of pop and R&B songs like "My Girl". While the album was popular in country music, it didn't make a big splash on the pop charts.
After New Harvest didn't become a pop hit, Dolly worked with pop producer Gary Klein for her next album. The album, Here You Come Again (1977), sold over a million copies. It topped the country album chart and reached number 20 on the pop chart. The song "Here You Come Again" became her first Top 10 pop hit (number 3). Another song, "Two Doors Down", topped the country chart and reached the pop Top 20. For the rest of the 1970s and early 1980s, many of her songs were hits on both country and pop charts.
In 1978, Dolly won a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her Here You Come Again album. She continued to have hits like "Heartbreaker" (1978), "Baby I'm Burning" (1979), and "You're the Only One" (1979). All of these were Top 40 pop hits and number one country hits. Her popularity grew with many TV appearances, including interviews and specials with Cher and Carol Burnett.
Her success grew even more in 1980 with three number-one country hits: "Starting Over Again", "Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You", and "9 to 5". "9 to 5" also topped the pop charts in early 1981. She had another Top 10 hit that year with "Making Plans", from an album with Porter Wagoner.
The song "9 to 5" was the theme song for the 1980 movie 9 to 5, in which she starred. This song reached number one on country, pop, and adult-contemporary charts, making it a triple number-one hit. Dolly became one of the few female country singers to have a number-one song on both country and pop charts at the same time. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Her songs continued to be in the country Top 10. Between 1981 and 1985, she had twelve Top 10 hits, with half of them reaching number one. Her duet with Kenny Rogers, "Islands in the Stream" (1983), was number one for two weeks.
In the mid-1980s, her record sales were still strong. Songs like "Save the Last Dance for Me" and "Think About Love" (1986) reached the country Top 10. However, RCA Records did not renew her contract in 1986, and she signed with Columbia Records in 1987.
Country and Bluegrass Focus
With Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt, Dolly released Trio (1987). This album was very popular, staying at number one on the country albums chart for five weeks and reaching the Top 10 on the Billboard 200. It sold millions of copies and had four Top 10 country hits, including "To Know Him Is to Love Him", which went to number one. Trio won a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. After trying for more pop success with Rainbow (1987), which didn't do well, Dolly decided to focus on country music again. Her album White Limozeen (1989) had two number one hits: "Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like That" and "Yellow Roses".
A duet with Ricky Van Shelton, "Rockin' Years" (1991), reached number one. Dolly's biggest success of the 1990s came when Whitney Houston recorded "I Will Always Love You" for the movie The Bodyguard (1992). Both the song and the album were huge hits. Dolly's own album from her 1992 film, Straight Talk, was less successful. But her 1993 album Slow Dancing with the Moon was praised by critics and did well on the charts, reaching number four on the country albums chart. She also recorded "The Day I Fall in Love" with James Ingram for the movie Beethoven's 2nd (1993).
Like her Trio album, Dolly released Honky Tonk Angels in 1993 with Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. This album was certified gold and helped Loretta and Tammy's careers. In 1994, Dolly's live acoustic album, Heartsongs: Live from Home, featured her hits and traditional songs.
Dolly's music in the mid-to-late 1990s was varied. Her 1995 re-recording of "I Will Always Love You" (a duet with Vince Gill) won an award. The next year, Treasures, an album of cover songs from the 1960s and 70s, was released. Her 1998 country-rock album Hungry Again had only her own songs. A second collaboration with Harris and Ronstadt, Trio II, came out in 1999. Their cover of Neil Young's "After the Gold Rush" won a Grammy Award. Dolly was also welcomed into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
Dolly then recorded a series of bluegrass albums. The Grass Is Blue (1999) won a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album. Little Sparrow (2001) included a cover of "Shine", which won a Grammy. The third, Halos & Horns (2002), had a bluegrass version of the Led Zeppelin song "Stairway to Heaven". In 2005, she released Those Were The Days, with her versions of folk-rock hits from the 1960s and 70s.
Touring and Recent Music
Dolly earned her second Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for "Travelin' Thru" (2005), which she wrote for the movie Transamerica. She returned to number one on the country chart in 2005 by singing harmonies on the Brad Paisley song, "When I Get Where I'm Going". In September 2007, Dolly released her first song from her own record company, Dolly Records, called "Better Get to Livin'", which reached number 48 on the country charts. Her album Backwoods Barbie (2008) reached number two on the country chart and number 17 on the Billboard 200, her highest debut at the time.
In October 2009, Dolly released a four-CD box set called Dolly, with 99 songs from her career. She also released a live DVD and album, Live From London, filmed during her 2008 concerts. In 2011, Dolly voiced the character Dolly Gnome in the animated movie Gnomeo & Juliet. In 2012, after Whitney Houston passed away, Dolly said, "Mine is only one of the millions of hearts broken over the death of Whitney Houston. I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on my song, and I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, 'Whitney, I will always love you. You will be missed.'"
In 2013, Dolly and Kenny Rogers reunited for the song "You Can't Make Old Friends". They were nominated for a Grammy Award for their performance. In 2014, Dolly went on the Blue Smoke World Tour to support her 42nd studio album, Blue Smoke. The album reached the Top 10 in Australia and New Zealand, and debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 in the U.S., her highest-charting solo album ever. It also reached number two on the U.S. country chart and number two on the UK album chart. On June 29, 2014, Dolly performed for the first time at the UK Glastonbury Festival for a crowd of over 180,000 people. In 2016, she announced a tour for her new album, Pure & Simple, one of her biggest U.S. tours in over 25 years.
In 2016, she released "Jolene" as a single with the a cappella group Pentatonix. Dolly was also one of 30 artists to perform on "Forever Country", a mix of famous country songs, celebrating fifty years of the CMA Awards. At the CMA Awards, Dolly received the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2017, Dolly sang a duet of "Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You" with Kesha on her album Rainbow. She also co-wrote and sang on "Rainbowland" on Younger Now, the album by her goddaughter Miley Cyrus.
In July 2019, Dolly made a surprise appearance at the Newport Folk Festival. In 2019, she worked with the Christian rock duo For King and Country on their song "God Only Knows". She also recorded a duet with Christian music artist Zach Williams called "There Was Jesus".
In 2020, Dolly got worldwide attention for the "Dolly Parton challenge" on social media, where she showed how she would look on different platforms. On April 10, 2020, Dolly re-released 93 songs from six of her classic albums. On May 27, 2020, she released a new song called "When Life Is Good Again" to help people feel better during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
In October 2020, Dolly was featured on the song "Pink" with other singers to help Breast Cancer Research. Dolly released A Holly Dolly Christmas in October 2020. On December 6, CBS aired a Christmas special where Dolly performed songs from her album.
Rockstar Album and Las Vegas Shows
In early 2022, Dolly was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She first thought it was only for rock musicians, but after learning it was for all kinds of music, she accepted. In May, her induction was announced, and she was officially welcomed into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on November 5, 2022. In October 2022, Dolly said she would no longer tour but would still do occasional live shows. On December 31, 2022, Dolly co-hosted NBC's New Year's special Miley's New Year's Eve Party.
On January 17, 2023, Dolly announced she would release her first rock album, Rockstar. The first song from the album, "World on Fire", was released on May 11, 2023, and quickly reached number 1. The album came out on November 17, 2023, and features many famous artists like Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Sting, Elton John, Sheryl Crow, Miley Cyrus, and Lizzo. The album was well-received and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, becoming Dolly's highest-charting solo studio album. It also topped the Country and Rock Albums charts.
The song "Gonna Be You" from the movie 80 for Brady was released on January 20, 2023. Dolly Parton, Belinda Carlisle, Cyndi Lauper, Debbie Harry, and Gloria Estefan performed the song. The music video shows them wearing football jerseys, like the characters in the film.
On February 14, 2025, Dolly was featured on Sabrina Carpenter's song "Please Please Please" from her album Short n' Sweet.
On March 7, 2025, Dolly released the song "If You Hadn't Been There" as a tribute to her husband, Carl Dean, who had passed away a week before.
In 2021, a duet version of the song Does He Love You with singer Reba McEntire was released.
On June 23, 2025, it was announced that Dolly would have a six-show residency in Las Vegas called Dolly: Live in Las Vegas at Caesars Palace in December 2025.
Dolly's Artistic Style
Musical Inspirations
Dolly Parton often says her family and community were her biggest inspirations. She wrote in her 2020 book Songteller: My Life in Lyrics that her mother's singing of old folk songs from the British Isles greatly influenced her. Dolly called her mother's voice "haunting." Her Aunt Dorothy Jo was also a huge hero, playing instruments and writing songs. Dolly also admired other singers like George Jones, Kitty Wells, and Roy Acuff.
Playing Instruments
Even though she can't read sheet music, Dolly can play many instruments. These include the dulcimer, autoharp, banjo, guitar, electric guitar, fiddle, piano, recorder, and saxophone. Dolly once said, "I play some of everything. I ain't that good at none of it, but I try to sell it." She even used her fingernails as an instrument, most famously on her 1980 song "9 to 5", where she created the beat by clicking her nails together.
Other Projects
Songwriting Success
Dolly Parton is a very active songwriter. She started by writing country songs that often reflected her humble mountain upbringing and her family's Christian faith. Her songs "Coat of Many Colors", "I Will Always Love You", and "Jolene" are now considered classics. On November 4, 2003, Dolly was honored as a BMI Icon for her songwriting.
Dolly has won over 35 BMI Pop and Country Awards. In 2001, she was welcomed into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In a 2009 interview, she said she had written "at least 3,000" songs and writes something new every day.
Dolly's songs have been featured in many films. Besides the title song for 9 to 5, she also recorded a second version of "I Will Always Love You" for The Best Little ... in Texas (1982). This version was a number one country hit.
"I Will Always Love You" has been covered by many artists, including Whitney Houston, whose version for The Bodyguard soundtrack became one of the best-selling songs ever, selling over twelve million copies worldwide.
As a songwriter, Dolly has been nominated twice for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, for "9 to 5" and "Travelin' Thru" (2005). "Travelin' Thru" won Best Original Song at the 2005 Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards.
Stage Musicals
9 to 5: The Musical
Dolly wrote the music and lyrics for 9 to 5: The Musical, a stage show based on her 1980 film 9 to 5. The musical opened on Broadway in New York on April 30, 2009. The title song of her 2008 album Backwoods Barbie was written for a character in the musical. Dolly was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Original Score for her work on the musical.
Dolly: An Original Musical
In June 2024, Dolly announced a musical about her own life and career. It was first called Hello, I'm Dolly, but later changed to Dolly: An Original Musical. The musical will feature new songs and her well-known hits. Dolly has been working on this musical for ten years. On December 6, 2024, she launched a search for actresses to play her at different ages by posting videos on social media.
The Dollywood Company
Dolly has invested much of her earnings into businesses in her home area of Pigeon Forge. She is a co-owner of The Dollywood Company. This company runs the theme park Dollywood, the dinner theater Dolly Parton's Stampede, the waterpark Dollywood's Splash Country, and the Dream More Resort and Spa, all in Pigeon Forge. Dollywood is one of the most popular theme parks in the United States, with three million visitors each year.
The Dolly Parton's Stampede also has locations in Branson, Missouri, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In 2011, the Myrtle Beach location became Pirates Voyage Fun, Feast and Adventure. Dolly attended the opening, and the state of South Carolina declared June 3, 2011, as Dolly Parton Day.
On January 19, 2012, Dolly's 66th birthday, plans were announced for a new water and snow park in Nashville. However, Dolly later withdrew her support for this project. In 2015, The Dollywood Company bought the Lumberjack Feud Dinner Show in Pigeon Forge, which reopened in 2016 after renovations.
Acting Career
Early Roles and Film Debut
Besides her singing appearances, Dolly has had many TV roles. In 1979, she was nominated for an Emmy Award for her guest appearance in a Cher TV special. Dolly wanted to reach a bigger audience, so she tried her own TV variety shows, Dolly! (1976–77) and Dolly (1987–88), but both lasted only one season.
In her first movie, 9 to 5 (1980), Dolly played a secretary alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. The movie showed problems women faced at work. Dolly was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her role. She also wrote and recorded the movie's title song, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song and won two Grammy Awards. The song also reached number one on the pop charts. 9 to 5 was a big success, earning over $103 million worldwide.
In late 1981, Dolly filmed her second movie, the musical The Best Little ... in Texas (1982). This film also earned her a Golden Globe nomination and was a commercial success. After a break, Dolly starred with Sylvester Stallone in Rhinestone (1984), a comedy that was not as successful.
Continuing Acting Roles
In 1989, Dolly returned to acting in Steel Magnolias (1989), which was very popular with critics and audiences. Dolly also starred in TV movies like A Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986), Wild Texas Wind (1991), Unlikely Angel (1996), and Blue Valley Songbird (1999). She starred with James Woods in Straight Talk (1992), which had mixed reviews.
Dolly made a cameo appearance as herself in The Beverly Hillbillies (1993). She has also done voice work for animated TV shows, playing herself in Alvin and the Chipmunks (1983) and a character in The Magic School Bus (1994). She has guest-starred in sitcoms like Designing Women (1990), Reba, and The Simpsons (1999). She also made cameo appearances on the Disney Channel as "Aunt Dolly" in her goddaughter Miley Cyrus's series Hannah Montana.
Dolly appeared as a mother in the comedy Frank McKlusky, C.I. (2002) and had a cameo in Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous. She was featured in The Book Lady (2008), a documentary about her children's literacy campaign.
Roles Since 2010
Dolly had a voice role in the animated film Gnomeo & Juliet (2011). She co-starred with Queen Latifah in the musical film Joyful Noise (2012). Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors, a TV movie based on her song, aired on NBC in December 2015, with Dolly narrating. Dolly also had a cameo in the sequel in November 2016.
In June 2018, Dolly announced an eight-part Netflix series about her music career. The series, called Dolly Parton's Heartstrings, aired in November 2019. Dolly is also the subject of the NPR podcast Dolly Parton's America. In December 2019, the documentary Here I Am was added to Netflix.
In November 2020, Dolly produced and starred in the Netflix musical film Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square, which won her an Emmy Award. In November 2021, Dolly appeared in the final season of Grace and Frankie, reuniting with her 9 to 5 co-stars Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda. In July 2022, Dolly appeared as a simulation of herself on the sci-fi show The Orville. In December 2022, Dolly appeared in an NBC special called Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas. On Thanksgiving 2023, Dolly performed songs during halftime at an NFL football game.
Personal Life
Family Connections
Dolly is the fourth of 12 children. She has many siblings: Willadeene, David, Coy, Robert, Stella Mae, Cassie, Randle (Randy), Larry, twins Floyd and Frieda, and Rachel Ann.
Dolly and her husband, Carl Dean, never had children of their own. However, they helped raise several of her younger siblings in Nashville. Her nieces and nephews called them "Uncle Peepaw" and "Aunt Granny." "Aunt Granny" later became the name of one of Dolly's Dollywood restaurants. Dolly is also the godmother of singer-songwriter and actress Miley Cyrus.
Faith and Beliefs
Dolly Parton is a dedicated Christian, and her faith has influenced many of her songs. She has spoken about her open-minded approach to faith, saying she has a lot of faith in herself and has been blessed by supportive people throughout her life.
Carl Dean
Dolly Parton and Carl Thomas Dean (1942–2025) were married on May 30, 1966, in Ringgold, Georgia. While Dolly doesn't use his last name professionally, she has said her passport reads "Dolly Parton Dean."
Carl Dean ran an asphalt paving business in Nashville for many years. He always avoided public attention and rarely went to public events with Dolly. Dolly said he only saw her perform once. However, she also shared that he would often visit Dollywood by himself without being recognized.
Dolly has mentioned Carl's romantic side, saying he would surprise her with spontaneous gestures and sometimes write poems for her. In 2011, Dolly said, "We're really very proud of our marriage. It's the first for both of us. And the last." On May 6, 2016, Dolly announced that she and Carl would renew their vows to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.
On March 3, 2025, Dolly announced on social media that Carl Dean had passed away in Nashville at the age of 82.
Helping Others
Since the mid-1980s, Dolly Parton has supported many charities, especially those focused on reading and education, mainly through her Dollywood Foundation.
Her reading program, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, was started to honor her father, who never learned to read or write. This program mails one book each month to enrolled children from birth until they start kindergarten. Currently, over 1600 communities provide the Imagination Library to almost 850,000 children every month across the U.S., Canada, the UK, Australia, and Ireland. In February 2018, she donated her 100 millionth free book to the Library of Congress.
For her work in literacy, Dolly has received many awards. On May 8, 2009, Dolly gave the commencement speech at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the university for her contributions as a musician, entertainer, and advocate for education.
In 2006, Dolly pledged $500,000 towards a new hospital and cancer center in Sevierville, named after Dr. Robert F. Thomas, the doctor who delivered her. She also held a benefit concert that raised more funds for the project. That same year, Dolly and Emmylou Harris allowed their music to be used in a PETA ad campaign encouraging pet owners to keep their dogs indoors.
In 2003, her efforts to protect the bald eagle through the American Eagle Foundation's sanctuary at Dollywood earned her an award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Dolly received the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service in 2007 for her contributions to the arts.
After the 2016 Great Smoky Mountains wildfires, Dolly helped raise money for the victims. She hosted her own telethon on December 13, which reportedly raised around $9 million. Her fund, the "My People Fund," gave $1,000 a month for six months to over 900 families affected by the fires. In the final month, they received $5,000, for a total of $10,000 per family. In 2018, the FBI honored Dolly for her wildfire aid work.
Dolly has also given generously to Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). She contributed to the Pediatric Cancer Program at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital in honor of her niece, Hannah Dennison, who was successfully treated for leukemia there.
In the aftermath of 2024's Hurricane Helene, Dolly announced a donation of $2 million to relief efforts.
Supporting LGBTQ+ Rights
While Dolly often stays neutral in politics, she has a long history of openly supporting the gay community. She publicly supported same-sex marriage in 2009.
COVID-19 Vaccine Support
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dolly donated $1 million to research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. This donation helped fund the early stages of development for the Moderna vaccine. In March 2021, Dolly received her COVID-19 vaccine at Vanderbilt University. She encouraged everyone to get vaccinated and even performed a song celebrating her vaccination, set to the tune of her song "Jolene".
Awards and Honors
Dolly Parton is one of the most awarded female country performers ever. Many of her songs and albums have been certified Gold, Platinum, or Multi-Platinum. She has had 26 songs reach number one on the Billboard country charts, a record for a female artist. She also has 42 Top 10 country albums, a record for any artist. As of 2012, she had written over 3,000 songs and sold more than 100 million records. As of 2021, she has appeared on the country music charts in seven different decades, more than any other artist.
Dolly Parton has won 11 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 2011. She has been nominated for 55 Grammy Awards, the third-most nominations for any female artist.
She has won three American Music Awards and ten Country Music Association awards, including Entertainer of the Year in 1978. She is one of only six female artists to win this top honor. She has also won seven Academy of Country Music awards. She has been nominated for two Academy Awards and a Tony Award. She received an Emmy Award nomination for a TV special with Cher in 1978. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her music (1984) and a bronze statue in her hometown of Sevierville, which she calls "the greatest honor." Dolly was welcomed into the Grand Ole Opry in 1969.
In 1999, Dolly received country music's highest honor: induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. She received an honorary doctorate degree from Carson-Newman College in 1990. In 2001, she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2002, she was ranked number 4 in CMT's 40 Greatest Women of Country Music.
In 2003, a tribute album called Just Because I'm a Woman: Songs of Dolly Parton was released, featuring other artists singing her songs. Dolly was given the Living Legend Medal by the U.S. Library of Congress in 2004 for her contributions to American culture.
In 2005, she received the National Medal of Arts, the highest honor given by the U.S. government for excellence in the arts. On December 3, 2006, Dolly received the Kennedy Center Honors for her lifetime contributions to the arts. Many country stars performed her songs to show their admiration. In 2010, Dolly accepted the Liseberg Applause Award for Dollywood theme park.
In 2015, a new species of lichen was named Japewiella dollypartoniana in her honor. In 2018, Dolly received a second star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris for their work as a trio. She was also recognized by Guinness World Records for having the most decades with a Top 20 hit and most hits on Billboard's Hot Country Songs Chart by a female artist. In 2020, Dolly won a Grammy for her song "God Only Knows" with For King & Country. In 2021, she was included on the Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world.
Dolly has turned down the Presidential Medal of Freedom three times, wanting to avoid politics and due to personal reasons. In 2021, she asked the Tennessee legislature not to build a statue of her, saying it wasn't appropriate at the time.
In late 2022, Dolly received a $100-million Courage and Civility Award from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos for her charity work in children's literacy. In 2023, Dolly was awarded American Library Association Honorary Membership. She is also a Kentucky Colonel.
Rolling Stone magazine ranked her at No. 27 on their 2023 list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. An asteroid, (10731) Dollyparton, was named in her honor in 2022.
Hall of Fame Honors
Dolly Parton has been inducted into many Halls of Fame:
- Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (1986)
- Small Town of America Hall of Fame (1988)
- East Tennessee Hall of Fame (1988)
- Country Music Hall of Fame (1999)
- Songwriters Hall of Fame (2001)
- Junior Achievement of East Tennessee Business Hall of Fame (2003)
- The Americana Highway Hall of Fame (2006)
- Grammy Hall of Fame – "I Will Always Love You – 1974 Recording" (2007)
- Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame – Songwriter Category (2008)
- Gospel Music Hall of Fame (2009)
- Music City Walk of Fame (2009)
- Country Gospel Music Hall of Fame (2010)
- Grammy Hall of Fame – "Jolene – 1974 Recording" (2014)
- The National Hall of Fame for Mountain Artisans (2014)
- The Happiness Hall of Fame (2016)
- East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame (2019)
- Grammy Hall of Fame – "Coat of Many Colors – 1971 Recording" (2019)
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2022)
Music Albums
Solo Studio Albums
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Collaborative Studio Albums
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Film and TV Appearances
Movies
- 9 to 5 (1980)
- The Best Little ... in Texas (1982)
- Rhinestone (1984)
- Steel Magnolias (1989)
- Straight Talk (1992)
- Frank McKlusky, C.I. (2002)
- Gnomeo & Juliet (2011)
- Joyful Noise (2012)
See also
In Spanish: Dolly Parton para niños
- Chasing Rainbows Museum
- List of American film actresses
- List of American television actresses
- List of country music performers
- List of composers of musicals
- List of music artists by net worth
- List of people from Tennessee
- List of philanthropists
- List of singer-songwriters
