Early Life
Born into poverty in rural Tennessee, Parton wrote her first song at age six, performed regularly on television by age ten, made her first recording a year later, and became a professional songwriter at sixteen. After writing songs for others, she released her debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly in 1967, starting her nearly 60-year career.
Career
Parton released 49 studio albums and wrote more than 3,000 songs, including "I Will Always Love You" – a two-time U.S. country chart-topper and an international success for Whitney Houston that became the best-selling single by a woman – "Jolene", "Coat of Many Colors", and "9 to 5". The lattermost, as well as the Kenny Rogers duet "Islands in the Stream", reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Her final solo studio album, Rockstar (2023), became her highest-charting album on the Billboard 200, reaching number three.
Onscreen, Parton starred in 9 to 5 (1980), Rhinestone (1984), Steel Magnolias (1989), Straight Talk (1992), and Joyful Noise (2012). On television, she played Aunt Dolly in Hannah Montana (2006–2010), hosted Saturday Night Live (1989), and guest-starred on Reba (2005) and Grace and Frankie (2022). She produced and starred in the Netflix film Christmas on the Square (2021), winning a Primetime Emmy Award. On Broadway, she wrote the music and lyrics for the musical 9 to 5 (2009), for which she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Original Score. Her life will be depicted in Dolly: A True Original Musical (2026).
Parton's music received gold, platinum, and multi-platinum certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Her accolades include eleven Grammy Awards and three Emmy Awards, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, six Golden Globes and a Tony Award. She logged 25 number-one Billboard country singles (tied with Reba McEntire for the most by a woman), 44 career top-10 country albums (a record for any artist), and 110 career-charted singles over 40 years. Parton was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1984), the National Medal of Arts (2004), the Kennedy Center Honor (2006), the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2011) and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award (2025).
Sources
Last updated: 2026-09-05