ABOUT DOLLY
Birth date: January 19, 1946
Birth place: Locust Ridge, Sevier County, Tennessee
Birth name: Dolly Rebecca Parton
Father: Robert Lee Parton, farmer
Mother: Avie Lee (Owens) Parton
Marriage: Carl Dean (May 1966-present)
Dolly Parton once famously said, “Find out who you are and do it on purpose,” and boy, has she ever done just that. There are a few things you can say about Parton, and one of them is that she’s never been less than herself—she is completely authentic. In being so honest and true, Parton has become more than just a country icon, she’s also become a music and movie legend. Here are 42 larger-than-life facts about Dolly Parton.
1. Four Out of Twelve
Parton was born in 1946 in Pittman Center, Tennessee. She was the fourth child born to Avie Lee Caroline and Robert Lee Parton Sr, who would go on to have 12 kids in total. Parton was born in the family’s one-room cabin.
2. Hard Working Papa
Dolly Parton didn’t grow up wealthy—quite the opposite. Parton herself described her family as “dirt poor,” and she wasn’t kidding. Her parents were working class people. Her mother was a homemaker for the family, taking care of the 12 kids. Her father was a sharecropper, a farmer, and did side jobs to help make ends meet.
Despite being unable to read, Dolly thinks of her father as one of the smartest people she’s ever met.
3. Tennessee Mountain Home
When Parton was young the family moved from the cabin on the shores of Little Pigeon River to a farm on Locust Ridge. This is the beloved family home of her youth and the inspiration for her song “My Tennessee Mountain Home.” Unable to part with it, Parton eventually bought her childhood home in the 1980s.
4. Family Names
Parton’s middle name—Rebecca—is taken from her great-great-grandmother.
5. That’s So Corny!
As payment for bringing Dolly into the world, the doctor who delivered her was paid one bag of cornmeal.
6. Church Girl
Parton was brought up in a Pentecostal church where her grandfather was the pastor. Her earliest performances were at her church. She started singing in them at the age of 6, and at 7 she would accompany her songs on a homemade guitar. By the time she was 8, her uncle gifted her with her first professionally-made guitar.
7. Well Awarded
Parton has a total of eight Grammy awards, though she’s been nominated 47 times. She held the title of most nominations of any female recording artist in history up until 2014 when Beyoncé snagged the title from her. She also was nominated for a Tony in 2009 for 9 to 5: The Musical.
8. Moving On Up
As soon as Parton had her diploma in hand in 1964, she moved to Nashville and kicked off her career in earnest. She got her start as a songwriter, writing with her uncle Bill Owens. During this time, Parton wrote two top 10 hits: “Put It Off Until Tomorrow” sung by Bill Phillips in 1966, and “Fuel to the Flame” sung by Skeeter Davis in 1967.
Parton’s songs were sung by country legends like Kitty Wells and Hank Williams Jr. in the late 60s.
9. Pop Star
In 1965, Parton was signed by Monument Records. She really wanted to release country music. The record label didn’t see Parton as a country singer, and instead wanted her to record pop songs. They didn’t think her voice was the right fit for the genre. Her only pop single that charted was “Happy, Happy Birthday Baby,” and it didn’t even make it into the top 100.
10. Country Girl
Parton finally got a chance to record country music after her song “Put it Off Until Tomorrow” placed on the country charts at number 6. Willing to take a risk on Parton, she recorded “Dumb Blonde,” which went on to reach 24 on the country charts. Following up the success of “Dumb Blonde,” she recorded her next country single, “Something Fishy,” which went on to place at number 17 on the country charts.
Turns out Parton had a voice fit for country—who would’ve thought?
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