Dolly Parton
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Bibliography
Notes
Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in June 2001.
"Dolly Parton has alway been a walking, talking, singing mass of contradictions, and that has long been a part of her immense appeal. For nearly 30 years now she has been the woman with the razor-sharp mind and the little-girl voice, the multimillion-dollar businesswoman in a Rhinestone Barbie body, a country-western queen beloved of the jaded urban priviligentsia, so hiply unhip, so chicly unchic, cloaking an innate elegance in a clash of glitter and trash."The jacket, the camisole, the tight blue jeans, the sheer black stockings, the spike-heeled black boots, the blond wig, the heart-shaped diamond ring: At 46, Dolly Parton is a kind of righteous Zen paradox, so artificial as to be completely real, finding her truth and her own honest innocence in a crafty excess of paint and powder." --Lynn Darling in New York Newsday, April 9, 1992.
Biography
One of the most iconic figures in country music, Dolly Parton distinguished herself as a singer, songwriter, and all-around entertainer, ultimately transcending the confines of country to become a celebrity whose sphere was bigger than any single genre. Born on January 19, 1946 in Sevierville, Tennessee, Parton grew up literally dirt poor, living in a one-room cabin in the Tennessee mountains with her mother, sharecropper father, and 11 siblings. The performing bug bit Parton early, and she began singing professionally while still a child, appearing on local radio and TV programs. In 1964 she relocated to Nashville to pursue songwriting. Parton ended up writing for several successful country artists, including Skeeter Davis, Kitty Wells, and Hank Williams, Jr. Country star Porter Wagoner drafted Parton to replace his departing partner Norma Jean on his weekly TV show in 1967. That same year, she and Wagoner began recording as a duo. Their partnership was successful from the start, yielding a long string of hits. But though Parton had been recording as a solo artist since before working with Wagoner, releasing her debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly, in '67, her own efforts were consistently overshadowed and outsold by the duo's output. She quit the show in '73 to concentrate on her solo career, though they made a couple more records together. Parton kicked into high gear immediately with a long string of chart-topping singles, including 1974's "I Will Always Love You," which would become even bigger in 1992 when Whitney Houston's version became one of the top-selling singles of all time. Parton scored a truckload of big hits throughout the '70s and '80s, and with her flamboyant image and sassy, self-possessed attitude, she became a mainstream celebrity, crossing over to the pop market beginning with 1977's "Here You Come Again." She hosted her own TV variety series in 1976, and starting with 1980's hit film "9 to 5," she began a successful movie acting career that included hits like "Steel Magnolias" (1989) and "Dumlin'" (2018) as well as high-profile flops like "The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas" (1982) and "Rhinestone" (1984). In the late '80s she had a sideline working in a trio with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, with great critical and commercial success. Starting in the late '90s she reached back to her roots, releasing a series of bluegrass albums. As gifted a businesswoman as she is an artist, Parton established multiple enterprises outside her music career, including her Dollywood theme park and several others. Over the course of her career, she was been honored by the Golden Globes, The Grammys, and just about every other awards organization, becoming one of country's most widely celebrated artists ever.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Music (Feature Film)
Special Thanks (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Producer (Special)
Music (Special)
Misc. Crew (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1956
Was featured on the radio broadcast "The Cass Walker Program" in Knoxville at the age of nine
1958
Made her debut at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee
1960
Made her TV debut on the syndicated "The Porter Wagoner Show"
1965
Signed with Monument Records and released first single "Happy, Happy Birthday Baby"
1967
Became a regular on the weekly country music program "The Porter Wagoner Show" (Syndicated), performed with Wagoner on tour and released several singles together
1967
Recorded her debut album, <i>Hello, I'm Dolly</i>
1974
Recorded the single "I Will Always Love You" (written about her professional break with Wagoner)
1976
Hosted first syndicated variety show "Dolly"
1977
Went mainstream with pop-rock band Gypsy Fever
1977
Had commercial success as a pop singer with the album <i>Here You Come Again</i>
1978
Performed with Cher on the ABC special "Cher...Special"; nominated for an Emmy for Supporting Actress in a Variety or Musical Special
1980
Co-starred with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in her feature film debut "Nine to Five"; also wrote and sang the theme song, which became a hit and earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Song; also earned a Best Actress Golden Globe nomination
1982
Played a brothel owner opposite Burt Reynolds in "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas"
1983
Headlined her first solo TV special, "Dolly in Concert" (HBO)
1984
Wrote first film score for "Rhinestone"; also co-starred with Sylvester Stallone
1984
Teamed with Kenny Rogers for the holiday special "Kenny & Dolly: A Christmas to Remember" (CBS)
1986
Founded Dollywood, a theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
1986
Made TV-movie debut in "A Smoky Mountain Christmas" (ABC), also provided story and wrote songs
1987
Starred on the short-lived ABC variety series "Dolly"
1987
Collaborated with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris for the successful album <i>Trio</i>
1989
Joined an ensemble cast for "Steel Magnolias"
1990
Debuted as executive producer with "Dolly Parton: Christmas at Home" (ABC)
1991
Starred in the NBC TV-movie "Wild Texas Wind"; also produced and wrote the music
1992
Played radio-program host opposite James Woods in "Straight Talk"; also provided songs
1992
Whitney Houston released a highly successful cover version of "I Will Always Love You" as the theme song for the film "The Bodyguard"
1993
Recorded "The Day I Fall In Love" as a duet with James Ingram for the film "Beethoven's 2nd"; the song was nominated for an Oscar and she performed it with Ingram on the awards telecast
1994
Collaborated with Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette to record the album <i>Honky Tonk Angels</i>
1995
Played herself in the TV-movies "Big Dreams & Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story" (CBS) and "Naomi & Wynnona: Love Can Build a Bridge" (NBC)
1996
Executive produced and starred in the CBS TV-movie "Unlikely Angel"
1999
Recorded her first bluegrass album, <i>The Grass Is Blue</i>
2002
Released third bluegrass album <i>Halos & Horns</i>, which included a version of the Led Zeppelin classic "Stairway to Heaven"
2004
Earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Country Collaboration with Norah Jones
2005
Earned second Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for "Travelin' Thru" from the film "Transamerica"; also garnered Golden Globe and Grammy nominations
2006
Appeared as 'Aunt Dolly' on the Disney Channel series "Hannah Montana"; was the real-life godmother of Hannah's Miley Cyrus
2009
Wrote the musical score for "9 to 5: The Musical," an adaptation of her feature film; earned Tony and Grammy Award nominations
2011
Voiced the character Dolly Gnome on the animated feature "Gnomeo & Juliet"
2012
Co-starred with Queen Latifah as choir singers in the musical comedy "Joyful Noise"
2012
Published the book <i>Dream More: Celebrate the Dreamer in You </i>
2015
Narrated "Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors," a TV movie based on her life
2016
Performed on "The Voice" opposite god daughter Miley Cyrus
2016
Released her 43rd album, <i>Pure & Simple</i>, and embarked on her biggest tour in over two decades
2017
Released the album <i>I Believe In You</i>
Photo Collections
Videos
Movie Clip
Trailer
Family
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in June 2001.
"Dolly Parton has alway been a walking, talking, singing mass of contradictions, and that has long been a part of her immense appeal. For nearly 30 years now she has been the woman with the razor-sharp mind and the little-girl voice, the multimillion-dollar businesswoman in a Rhinestone Barbie body, a country-western queen beloved of the jaded urban priviligentsia, so hiply unhip, so chicly unchic, cloaking an innate elegance in a clash of glitter and trash."The jacket, the camisole, the tight blue jeans, the sheer black stockings, the spike-heeled black boots, the blond wig, the heart-shaped diamond ring: At 46, Dolly Parton is a kind of righteous Zen paradox, so artificial as to be completely real, finding her truth and her own honest innocence in a crafty excess of paint and powder." --Lynn Darling in New York Newsday, April 9, 1992.
"Left to my own, I'd rather look like trash. I love tacky clothes. My look came from a very serious honest place, and that was a country girl's idea of what glamor was." --Dolly Parton to New York Newsday, April 9, 1992.
"My music is what took me everywhere I've been and everywhere I will go. It's my greatest love. I can't abandon it. I'll always keep making records, even if I have to sell them through the mail or the Internet." --Parton to USA Today, August 25, 1998.
"Well, I was this child that had a dream . . . I felt like not much attention was paid to me. So I found my attention. I actually found a friend in my guitar. I had a very active mind. I had an outgoing personality. I needed to be noticed. People said we'll take you down to the radio station. I was the kind of kid that the more attention I got, the more I needed, and I felt like I had a gift, and the more people told me I was good, the more I believed them." --Dolly Parton to The Observer, September 6, 1998.
"I'm not offended at all, because I know I'm not a dumb blonde. I also know I'm not blonde."---Parton Peope July 06, 1992
