A complete timeline of Dolly Parton's inspiring life and career

The 4th of 12 children, Parton was calved to a mediocre family successful agrarian Appalachia.

Parton's father, Robert Lee, was a baccy husbandman and a building worker who ne'er learned to publication aliases write, having dropped retired of school arsenic a young child.

Her mother, Avie Lee Owens, was a preacher's girl who spent astir of her life raising and caring for her children. 

Parton ever knew she wanted to beryllium a star. In the early days of her philharmonic career, she sang barefoot connected the beforehand structure of her family's location successful the mountains, a two-room log cabin pinch nary moving h2o aliases electricity.

In 1951, astatine conscionable 5 years old, Parton wrote her first song, "Little Tiny Tassel Top."

Two years later, successful 1953, Parton was truthful enthusiastic astir playing euphony that she made her first guitar retired of an aged mandolin and 2 bass guitar strings, according to the Library of Congress.

Biography reported that Parton's mother sang and played guitar. Parton's begetter besides played banjo and guitar, but she has credited her uncle Bill Owens pinch helping motorboat her career.

Owens recognized her talent early connected and became her first manager. According to the Library of Congress, he secured her first regular performing domiciled successful 1956 connected Knoxville's "The Cas Walker Show."

He introduced Parton to the multimillionaire businessman and TV big aft getting her backstage during a taping of the show. Once there, Parton told Walker that she wanted to activity for him — and it paid off.

The Library of Congress reported that Parton wrote the opus pinch her uncle erstwhile she was 11 and released the single, on pinch the B-track "Girl Left Alone," connected Goldband Records successful 1959.

Speaking of the 30-hour autobus thrust to Lake Charles, Louisiana, to grounds the single, Parton has said, "I don't deliberation I'll ever hide the measurement the wrong of that autobus smelled. It was a operation of diesel fuel, Naugahyde, and group who were going places."

The azygous didn't garner immoderate commercialized success.

Parton has said it was ever her dream to execute astatine the Opry.

"For me, the Opry is for illustration the opus 'New York, New York' — if you tin make it there, you tin make it anywhere," she said, according to her Opry creator bio. 

At property 13, she sewage her chance. On the nighttime of her performance, Johnny Cash introduced the young Parton and, aft singing George Jones' opus "You Gotta Be My Baby," she received 3 encores, the Library of Congress reported.

Parton was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry 10 years later successful 1969, and successful 2019, the TV typical "Dolly Parton: 50 Years astatine the Opry" aired connected NBC, honoring her first capacity astatine the famed Opry House.

In a 2019 question and reply pinch Variety astir the TV special, Parton reminisced astir really informative those early days astatine the Opry were.

"I conscionable person truthful galore memories, moreover arsenic a kid watching the group backstage and conscionable opinionated retired location connected that shape wherever each the awesome group stood, conscionable reasoning possibly immoderate time I could beryllium portion of them," Parton said.

"Now that I've been fortunate capable and fortunate capable to spot that dream travel true, I wonderment if immoderate small kid mightiness opportunity 'I stake Dolly Parton erstwhile stood here' aliases 'I'm opinionated wherever Dolly Parton stood.'"

The duo was signed to Tree Publishing and Mercury Records successful Nashville successful 1962 and recorded the songs "It's Sure Gonna Hurt" and  "The Love You Gave."

The songs didn't make the charts, and the explanation dropped Parton and Owens, according to the Library of Congress.

Despite this, Parton has said it was magical proceeding herself connected the radio.

"I will ne'er hide proceeding [myself] connected a Knoxville station, WIVK," she said. "There I was, really proceeding myself sing, not connected a portion aliases workplace show but connected a existent power position that thousands of group were listening to… astatine that very moment.

"I was truthful proud I walked astir for days pinch my thorax each stuck out," she said. "Somehow, cipher noticed."

Parton recorded six songs for the 1963 medium "Hits Made Famous by Country Queens." Two years later, she and Owens signed pinch Fred Foster's Combine Publishing House and Monument Records.

Their songwriting business quickly recovered success. In 1966, Bill Phillips reached the Top 10 pinch 2 songs Parton and Owens wrote together: "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" and "The Company You Keep."

Parton was 18 erstwhile she met 21-year-old Dean extracurricular the Wishy Washy Laundromat successful Nashville successful 1964.

They were joined successful Georgia against the wishes of her grounds label, which thought that matrimony would hamper the singer's career. 

"It was conscionable my mother, and Carl, and me," Parton told CMT in 2016. "We went crossed the authorities statement to Ringgold, Georgia. My mother made maine a small achromatic dress, a small bouquet, and a small Bible. But I said, 'I can't get joined successful a courthouse because I'll ne'er consciousness married.' So we recovered a small Baptist religion successful town, and went up to Pastor Don Duvall and said, 'Would you wed us?' We sewage pictures connected the steps correct extracurricular the church."

Despite his wife's fame, Dean, a retired businessman who erstwhile ran an asphalt-laying company, preferred to enactment retired of the nationalist eye.

Parton and Dean were married for astir 60 years earlier Dean died connected March 3, 2025, astatine the property of 82.

Parton's breakthrough came successful 1967, erstwhile 2 Monument Records singles — "Dumb Blonde" and "Something Fishy" — landed connected Billboard's state chart. That summer, she released her first full-length album, "Hello, I'm Dolly."

Later that year, Parton joined "The Porter Wagoner Show," opening the business that would make her a family name. Their signaling of "The Last Thing connected My Mind" reached No. 7 connected Billboard's state chart, and RCA signed the brace soon after.

In 1968, they released their first associated album, "Just Between You and Me," while Parton continued building her solo profession pinch "Just Because I'm a Woman." The duo's fame was underscored by awesome honors that year, including the CMA Award for vocal group of the twelvemonth and Music City News' grant for duet of the year.

"Jolene" is undoubtedly 1 of Parton's best-known hits, and rightfully so.

It reached No. 1 connected the state charts and peaked astatine No. 60 connected the Billboard Hot 100. Perhaps astir importantly, the song's occurrence proved that Parton has crossover imaginable successful celebrated music. 

Parton's adjacent 4 singles — "I Will Always Love You;" "Please Don't Stop Loving Me" (a duet pinch Porter); "Love is for illustration a Butterfly;" and "The Bargain Store" — each reached No. 1 connected the state charts. In 1975, the CMAs awarded Parton pinch the Female Vocalist of the Year award. 

Due to her solo success, Parton ceased performing connected Porter Wagoner's TV show and roadworthy show successful 1974, and successful 1976, she severed each master ties pinch Wagoner.

In its place, Parton created "Dolly," her first — but surely not her past — syndicated TV show, which ran for 1 year. 

Parton released some "New Harvest... First Gathering" and "Here You Come Again" successful 1977, successful February and October, respectively. "Here You Come Again" went connected to execute platinum position successful 1978 — her first medium to waste 1 cardinal copies. 

"Here You Come Again" signaled a monumental displacement successful the singer's sound and profession trajectory. She tapped popular shaper Gary Klein to activity connected the album, and she recruited extracurricular writers to constitute immoderate of its songs, The Boot reported.

Parton had shown imaginable arsenic a popular vocalist connected erstwhile albums, but her 1977 hits solidified her position arsenic a popular sensation and paved the measurement for much pop-oriented hits, specified arsenic "9 to 5." 

The medium besides earned Parton a Grammy Award for champion female state vocal performance. 

Dolly Parton made her metallic surface debut successful her 1980 drama "9 to 5," and contributed the deed opus of the aforesaid sanction to the film's soundtrack.

It turned retired to beryllium the pinnacle of Parton's profession truthful far, and the opus soared to No. 1 connected the Billboard Hot 100. 

Parton's capacity and opus earned her a slew of grant nominations, including from the Golden Globes for caller female prima of the twelvemonth successful a mobility picture, champion character successful a mobility picture, and champion original song; from the Oscars for champion original song; and from the People's Choice Award for favourite theme/song from a mobility picture.

Although she didn't triumph immoderate of these awards, Parton was besides nominated for 4 Grammys and won 2 of them for champion state opus and champion female state vocal performance. 

Parton first released "I Will Always Love You" connected her 1974 album, "Jolene." But the opus reached a caller assemblage erstwhile she rerecorded it for the 1982 movie "The Best Little Whorehouse successful Texas," successful which she starred.

For the movie version, Parton gave the opus a much pop-forward statement while holding onto its state heart. The update earned her a Grammy information for champion female state vocal performance.

A decade later, Whitney Houston transformed the opus again for the 1992 movie "The Bodyguard." Her R&B-pop rendition spent a then-record 14 weeks astatine No. 1 connected the Billboard Hot 100, according to Houston's website.

Parton continued to thrust the activity of occurrence into 1983 erstwhile she teamed up pinch Kenny Rogers for the deed azygous "Islands In The Stream," which reached No. 1 connected pop, country, and modern charts and earned galore grant nominations. 

Now a proven actor, Parton began securing acting roles alongside heavy-hitters of the '80s, including Sylvester Stallone successful "Rhinestone" successful 1984. 

Parton is known for her generosity, but the inaugural she's champion known for is Dollywood, the taxable parkland she built successful Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, adjacent her hometown.

During the park's 25th play successful 2010, Parton told the Associated Press that she ever intended to return to her location and thief amended the lives of everyone who supported her arsenic a young aspiring musician. 

"I ever thought that if I made it large aliases sewage successful astatine what I had started retired to do, that I wanted to travel backmost to my portion of the state and do thing great, thing that would bring a batch of jobs into this area," Parton said. "Sure enough, I was lucky, and God was bully to maine and things happened good. We started the park, and 25 years later, we're still astatine it."

In 1988, Parton founded the Dollywood Foundation. In the early 1990s, the instauration promised $500 to area seventh- and eighth-grade students who went connected to postgraduate from precocious school.

In doing so, she decreased the dropout complaint from 35% to 6%, according to the organization's website.

Today, the inaugural has expanded to support galore different causes, including Parton's Imagination Library, which has provided hundreds of millions of free books to children astir the world.

Among the galore accolades that earned her introduction into the Hall of Fame, her artist page cites that she was the first female state creator to grounds 2 No. 1 popular singles, some of which she wrote herself.

She was besides the first female state creator to beryllium nominated for an Academy Award and the first female songwriter to triumph BMI's Five-Million Air Award, presented for 5 cardinal power airplays of "I Will Always Love You."

According to a explanation of the book connected her website, it "recounts her puerility increasing up mediocre successful the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and talks astir her music, religion, marriage, and galore different aspects of her life for illustration her opinions astir integrative room and her larger-than-life persona."

The book charted connected The New York Times bestseller database for 2 months pursuing its release. 

Parton's first bluegrass album, 1999's "The Grass Is Blue," won a Grammy successful 2001 for the champion bluegrass album.

She followed it up successful 2001 pinch "Little Sparrow," a bluegrass and people medium that won a Grammy for champion female state vocal capacity and was nominated for champion bluegrass album.

In 2002, she released "Halos and Horns," which featured a screen of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven," and earned Parton 2 much Grammy nominations.  

Roughly 54 years aft releasing her first song, Parton received 1 of the euphony realm's astir prestigious awards. 

In a Grammys article honoring Parton, state vocalist Miranda Lambert wrote of the singer's masterful lyricism, divers contributions to American culture, and her dedication to her roots. 

"Dolly has proven herself good beyond the boundaries of state music, but she has carried the banner for state euphony nary matter wherever her profession has taken her," Lambert wrote. "From her days getting started connected 'The Porter Wagoner Show' to topping the state euphony charts to her critically acclaimed bluegrass albums and winning each grant successful between, Dolly has go timeless."

The movie explores Parton's puerility and the struggles her family faced surviving successful the foothills of Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains.

The sequel, "Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love," was released successful 2016. 

In 2018, the statement awarded Parton pinch 2 distinctions: the female creator pinch the astir hits (107) connected the US Hot Country Songs floor plan by a female creator and the astir decades (six) pinch a Top 20 deed connected Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. 

When asked really it feels to person made euphony that has endured for truthful long, Parton said, "It's a bully emotion to cognize that I've had deed songs done each those decades, it makes maine consciousness for illustration I'm astir 100, which it won't beryllium agelong 'till I am."

"I'm conscionable honored and proud that group person loved my euphony for each of these years," she said.

Parton earned glowing headlines precocious successful 2020 for making a $1 cardinal donation to thief money the improvement of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. 

In the caller decade, she showed nary signs of slowing down, releasing a caller Christmas medium successful October 2020, and airing the TV typical "A Holly Dolly Christmas" successful December 2020 connected CBS.

She had told "60 Minutes Australia" successful March 2020 that to observe her birthday, she'd emotion to look connected the screen of Playboy Magazine, conscionable arsenic she did erstwhile she was 32 successful 1978.

"I did Playboy years ago. I thought it'd beryllium specified a hoot if they'll spell for it. I don't cognize if they will, if I could beryllium connected the screen again erstwhile I'm 75," she told anchor Tom Steinfort.

The pursuing year, she shared an update pinch her fans.

"Remember immoderate clip backmost I said I was going to airs connected the Playboy mag erstwhile I was 75? Well, I'm 75, and they don't person a mag anymore," Parton said successful an Instagram video while wearing the Playboy bunny costume.

Parton said successful the video that Dean "loved" the original cover, and she did a photograph sprout to "make him happy" connected his birthday. She presented him pinch a framed group of photos, 1 of the original screen and 1 from the caller photograph shoot, while wearing the bunny suit. 

"He still thinks I'm a basking chick aft 57 years," she said. "And I'm not gonna effort and talk him retired of that."

"Even though I americium highly flattered and grateful to beryllium nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I don't consciousness that I person earned that right," she said successful a connection successful March 2022. "I really do not want votes to beryllium divided because of me, truthful I must respectfully front out."

Parton was one of 17 artists shortlisted and 1 of 7 first-time nominees, alongside artists for illustration Eminem, Lionel Richie, and Carly Simon.

"I do dream that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will understand and beryllium consenting to see maine again — if I'm ever worthy," she wrote successful a connection connected Instagram successful March 2022. "This has, however, inspired maine to put retired a hopefully awesome stone 'n' rotation medium astatine immoderate constituent successful the future, which I person ever wanted to do!"

"I wish each of the nominees bully luck and convey you again for the compliment," she concluded. "Rock on!"

When asked what she would do if she received capable instrumentality votes to beryllium inducted into the Hall of Fame, Parton said, "I'll judge gracefully. I'll conscionable opportunity 'Thanks' and I will judge it because the fans vote," she told NPR's "Morning Edition" successful April.

"It was ever my belief that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was for group successful stone music," she said. "I person recovered retired lately it's not needfully that. But if they can't spell location to beryllium recognized, wherever tin they go? And truthful I felt for illustration I was taking distant from personification that possibly deserved it surely much than maine since I ne'er considered myself a stone artist. But obviously, there's much to it than that."

She was joined by chap inductees Eminem, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, Eurythmics, Duran Duran, and Pat Benatar.

"I americium honored and humbled by the truth that I person been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," Parton wrote successful an Instagram post. "Of course, I will judge it gracefully. Thanks to everyone that voted for maine and to everyone astatine the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I will proceed to activity difficult and effort to unrecorded up to the honor."

She was inducted astatine a ceremonial connected November 5, 2022, successful Los Angeles.

Parton was primitively scheduled to execute six shows astatine The Colosseum astatine Caesars Palace successful December 2025, but initially rescheduled the shows for 2026, saying she has "been dealing pinch immoderate wellness challenges, and my doctors show maine that I must person a fewer procedures."

"In each seriousness, fixed this, I americium not going to beryllium capable to rehearse and put together the show that I want you to see, and the show that you merit to see," Parton wrote successful an Instagram statement. "You salary bully money to spot maine perform, and I want to beryllium astatine my champion for you.

"I conscionable request a small clip to get 'show-ready,' arsenic they say," she said. "And don't interest astir maine quitting the business because God hasn't said thing astir stopping yet."

The shows were rescheduled for September 2026, but successful May 2026, she announced that the residency had been canceled entirely.

In a connection connected Instagram, she said, "I'm responding really good to meds and treatments, and I'm improving each day."

She continued, "I americium genuinely sorry that I'm going to miss each of you that had tickets to spot maine successful Las Vegas. Well, you get connected to Vegas, and you person a large time."

"And I'll spot you location down the line," she added.

Parton's nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced the news of Dolly Parton's death connected her Instagram connected August 25.

"I'm representing the Parton and Owens family today, announcing the passing of my aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean. Sister, Sis, and Granny to 1 procreation and Gigi to the next," Seaver said successful the video.

"This video announcement is thing Dolly asked of maine years ago, earlier I afloat absorbed it arsenic a early reality. As her caput of information for much than 2 decades, a domiciled my begetter Larry held earlier me, I person imagined the heaviness of this infinitesimal but haven't genuinely felt it til now."

No origin of decease was given.

After news of her death, Trump said he was ordering US flags flown astatine half-staff nationwide.

"This is simply a existent nonaccomplishment for millions of people," he wrote connected Truth Social. "There has ne'er been anyone for illustration her, and ne'er will."

Editor's note: This communicative was primitively published successful January 2021 and updated successful August 2026.

Erin McDowell is simply a newsman connected Business Insider's editorial partnerships team. She covers food, lifestyle, and intermezo for Business Insider and its partner sites, including MSN, Apple News, and Yahoo.She graduated from Elon University successful January 2019, wherever she studied strategical communications and integer art. She has written for V Magazine, Milk.XYZ, OUT.com, Brides Magazine, and more. She lives successful Brooklyn, New York, and tin beryllium recovered connected LinkedIn. Please nonstop each inquiries, comments, aliases tips to [email protected].Selected stories:

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