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Dolly Parton Biography

Country Singer / Songwriter / Actor

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One of the best-known country singers in the world, Dolly Parton is known for her outsized talent, hair, and bosom. She began writing and performing songs as a girl and made her first record in 1960. She moved to Nashville, and in 1967 released the album Hello, I'm Dolly and landed a job on Porter Wagoner's syndicated television show. Parton and Wagoner had a string of hits as a duo throughout the 1960s and '70s, and as a solo artist Parton became internationally famous for such hits as "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You." Her 1973 album My Tennessee Mountain Home was called "a bittersweet look backward at a life and a tradition she was bound on leaving" by the Encyclopedia of Country Music. In 1980 she made her acting debut, co-starring with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the comedy 9 to 5. (Parton was nominated for an Oscar for the theme from the film, which was a hit single.) Parton has won every major music award, with songs ranging from pop and contemporary country to traditional country and bluegrass. Known for her business savvy, she also owns and operates Dollywood, a theme park in Tennessee with retail shops and entertainment. She was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999 and recieved the Kennedy Center Honor for artistic achievement in 2006.

Extra credit: "I Will Always Love You" was a hit in 1973. Parton recorded a new version of it in 1982 and it was a hit again. The song was an even bigger hit in 1992 when it was recorded by Whitney Houston... Parton was again nominated for an Oscar in 2006, for the tune Travellin' Through from the 2005 movie Transamerica.

Parton joins the Dalai Lama in our loop Dolly Shot.

Blog posts mentioning Dolly Parton:

• A Brief Explanation of Why A California Actress Would Want To Name One Twin Daughter After A Country Singer from Locust Ridge, Tennessee
• Happy Birthday, Mrs. Bush
• Porter Wagoner, "Hillbilly Deluxe"