Dolly Parton, widely known as the “Queen of Country,” has died at the age of 80. Born into poverty in a two-room log cabin in Tennessee, Parton rose to become one of the most recognizable figures in global music. The singer behind timeless hits including “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You” built a career that lasted more than six decades.
Dolly Parton sold more than 100 million records
Dolly Parton sold more than 100 million records worldwide during her career. She wrote more than 3,000 songs, while a record 44 of her albums reached the top 10 on the country music charts.
Parton won 11 Grammy Awards and three Emmy Awards and was set to receive an honorary Oscar in 2026 in recognition of her humanitarian work.
Dolly Parton was the fourth of 12 children
Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on January 19, 1946, in a two-room log cabin along the Little Pigeon River in Tennessee. She was the fourth of 12 children. Her father was an illiterate sharecropper who later worked his way up to owning a small tobacco farm.
Parton often described her family as extremely poor, crediting her mother with passing on a love of traditional music and her father with teaching her the value of hard work.
Dolly Parton began performing as a child
Parton started performing at an early age. By 13, she had appeared on local radio and television in East Tennessee, performed at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry and recorded her first single, “Puppy Love.”
She moved to Nashville the day after graduating from high school in 1964 to pursue a professional career in music.
Her debut album, “Hello, I’m Dolly,” was released in 1967, the same year she joined The Porter Wagoner Show.
“I Will Always Love You” was written as a farewell
In 1973, Parton decided to focus on her solo career and wrote “I Will Always Love You” about her professional separation from longtime mentor Porter Wagoner. The song became a hit for Parton and later achieved even greater global success when Whitney Houston recorded her version in 1992, topping the charts for 14 weeks. Another of Parton’s signature songs, “Jolene,” was written during the same period.
“9 to 5” launched her film career
Parton made her acting debut in 1980 alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the film “9 to 5.”
She also wrote the movie’s theme song, which became a number one hit and earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.
She later appeared in films including “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” “Steel Magnolias” and “Joyful Noise.”
She used her fortune to support charitable causes
Parton’s net worth was estimated at around $500 million, but she was also widely known for giving back. Through the Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library, she helped provide books to children and promote literacy around the world.
She also supported efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, funded the American Red Cross and contributed to the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Parton received the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in 2022 for her charitable work.
A 60-year marriage to Carl Dean
Parton married only once. She met businessman Carl Dean when she was 18, on the same day she moved to Nashville. They married two years later, on May 30, 1966, in Georgia.
The couple kept their marriage intensely private for decades, with Dean rarely appearing in public alongside his famous wife.
Source: NationalTurk
