The universally beloved country icon's career spans more than six decades, dozens of accolades and numerous genres in music, TV and film.
"I’ve always tried to never step on anybody to get where I am," she said. "I’ve had to walk around a few people, jump over a few of ‘em now and then, but I think you’re a true success when you’ve seen your dreams come true and you can take pride in how you did it, and take pride in and respect and appreciate the people that helped you get there."
That said, we rounded up some of her best here! Check out these interesting facts about Dolly Parton.
Jan. 19, 1946
Dolly Parton’s Hometown
Robert Lee Parton Sr.
Dolly Parton’s Mother
Dolly Parton began singing, songwriting and playing piano and guitar when she was still in single-digits and living in her family's one-room cabin in Pittman, Tenn. She began performing on regional Tennessee radio stations at 10 years old and recorded her first single when she was just 11.
Parton's own recordings early in her career were pop tunes, not country songs, and didn't chart. That changed when she recorded her debut country album, released in 1967, launching a six-decade (and counting) career that boasts 50 studio albums, 11 Grammys, three Emmys and two Oscar nods ... not to mention a theme park, a cookbook, baking mixes, frozen meals, Miley Cyrus as a goddaughter and a whole lot more.
Dolly Parton Timeline
1959: Dolly Parton releases her first single and debuts at the Grand Ole Opry
At just 13 years old, Parton releases her first single (recorded, as previously mentioned, when she was just 11). The song, "Puppy Love," doesn't chart, but it was still a big year for her: She made her debut performance at the Grand Ole Opry, with none other than Johnny Cash introducing her to country music fans in the room and on the radio to perform his tune "You Gotta Be My Baby."
Related: 60 of Dolly Parton's Best Quotes About Fame, Love and Womanhood
1967: Dolly Parton releases her first charting songs and debut album
Parton made her Billboard country chart debut in January 1967 with "Dumb Blonde" and "Something Fishy," then-peaking at No. 24 and 17, respectively. That July, she released her debut full-length album, Hello, I'm Dolly, and she made her debut performance on The Porter Wagoner Show that September. By December, her duet with Porter Wagoner, "The Last Thing On My Mind," cracks No. 7 on the Billboard country chart.
Dolly Parton performs with Porter Wagoner circa 1967.Photo by Michael Ochs Archives on Getty Images
While Parton's first awards came in 1966 for her songwriting, 1968 marked the first year she was awarded for music she sang herself.
On the solo front, Parton was nominated for the CMA Award for Female Vocalist of the Year and won the CMT Music Award for Most Promising Female Artist, the Cashbox Award for Most Promising Up and Coming Female Artist and the Nashville Songwriters Association International Songwriter Achievement Award (for Phillips' "Put It Off Until Tomorrow").
1970-1973: Dolly Parton soars to the top of the country charts
Parton earned her first Grammy nomination in 1970 with Wagoner for "Just Someone I Used to Know."
The same year, she had her first solo No. 1 hit on the Billboard country charts with "Joshua."
Joshua by Dolly PartonPhoto by Michael Ochs Archives on Getty Images
Three years after "Joshua" hit No. 1 on the country chart, Parton released one of what became her signature songs: "Jolene." The song, in which she begs, "Please don't take my man," hit No. 1 on the Billboard country chart and crossed over to the mainstream pop charts, hitting No. 64 on the Hot 100.
"He was a little embarrassed when I wrote the song 'Jolene' because, actually, it wasn't as serious [as it seemed in the lyrics]," she said. "I was just jealous 'cause she was a beautiful woman and he was just flirting!"
Parton also released her first version of "I Will Always Love You" in 1974, landing the No. 1 spot on the country songs chart. She later told the WNYC podcast Dolly Parton's America that she wrote the ballad (an ode to her former business partner and mentor Wagoner) the same day she wrote "Jolene."
Related: 5 Country Songs Everyone Still Covers Decades After ‘Jolene’
1976-1979: Dolly Parton makes country music history
In 1977, Parton released New Harvest ... First Gathering, the first album she produced for herself. The album featured the single "Here You Come Again," which topped the Billboard Country Songs chart for five weeks.
Here You Come Again by Dolly PartonPhoto by Donaldson Collection on Getty Images
The album Here You Come Again was the first ever by a female country artist to sell 1 million copies. Parton won the Grammy for Best Female Country Performance for Here You Come Again in 1979.
1980-1984: Dolly Parton becomes a pop star and movie star
Parton's commercial success musically continued through the next decade, and her appeal extended to the big screen.
Director Colin Higgins, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton post for a photo on the set of 9 to 5.Photo by Steve Schapiro on Getty Images
Parton's album 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs earned her the ACM Award for Female Vocalist of the Year.
In 1982, Parton starred in the musical comedy The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas with Burt Reynolds. She re-recorded her hit "I Will Always Love You" for the soundtrack and earned a Grammy nod for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton perform in 1983.Photo by Richard E. Aaron on Getty Images
Kenny Rogers and Parton's 1983 duet, "Islands in the Stream," was another massive hit, once more topping the Billboard country, adult contemporary and Hot 100 charts, eventually going more than quintuple platinum worldwide. The track won the ACM Awards for Single Record the Year and Top Vocal Duet and was nominated for the Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group Grammy in 1984. Another Rogers-Parton duet, "Real Love," was nominated for the Best Country Performance for a Duo or Group Grammy in 1986.
Sylvester Stallone points to Dolly Parton in a scene from the film Rhinestone, released in 1984.Photo by 20th Century Fox on Getty Images
Related: Which Dolly Parton Song Matches You Best, Based on Birth Date
1986: Dolly Parton opens Dollyworld
Dolly Parton poses at the entrance of her Dollywood theme park on Oct. 24, 1988.Photo by Ron Davis on Getty Images
Related: Names of America: How Did Pigeon Forge, Tenn., Get Its Name?
1987: Dolly Parton teams up with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt
Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt's album TrioPhoto by Robert Alexander on Getty Images
Proving she really is a consummate girls' girl, Parton teamed up with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt for the album Trio in 1987. The album went on to win the 1988 Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group, the ACM Award for Album of the Year, the CMT Music Awards for Vocal Collaboration of the Year and Album of the Year and the CMA Award for Vocal Event of the Year.
Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton perform music from their album Trio II on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno on Feb. 9, 1999.Photo by NBC on Getty Images
In April 1988, Parton launched the Dollywood Foundation, providing scholarships to local students in the Pigeon Forge, Tenn., area. In 1995, she expanded it to include her famous Imagination Library, distributing free books to children monthly, and in 2016 added the My People Fund to support Tennessee families after wildfires spread through the state. The Dollywood Foundation currently boasts four out of four stars on Charity Navigator.
1989: Dolly Parton stars in Steel Magnolias
Steel Magnolias stars Julia Roberts, Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Dolly Parton, and Daryl Hannah pose for a portrait in October 1989.Photo by Aaron Rapoport on Getty Images
Related: I Made Dolly Parton's Famous 3-Ingredient Cake From Steel Magnolias
1992: Whitney Houston covers Dolly Parton's 'I Will Always Love You'
Parton's "I Will Always Love You" first hit No. 1 on the Country Hot Singles chart in 1974 when it was first released, then again in 1982 when she released a new version for the film The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas. It charted for a third time (though it didn't hit No. 1) in 1995 when she released a duet version with Vince Gill.
Houston's powerhouse pipes launched "I Will Always Love You" to No. 1 for 14 weeks, the longest run at the top spot of all time at that point. Houston's soaring rendition won the Grammys for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1994, and Parton herself admitted to Billboard that she liked Houston's version better than any of her own.
Related: Dolly Parton's Biggest Part Is Her…Heart
1993-2005: Dolly Parton launches her own record label and becomes a bestselling author
Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton and Tammy Wynette perform together circa 1983. A decade later, they released the album Honky Tonk Angels together on Parton's label.Photo by Beth Gwinn on Getty Images
The following year, Parton released her autobiography Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business, landing at the top of the New York Times Bestsellers list.
Parton followed with Little Sparrow in 2001, which won the Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for the single "Shine."
Related: The Simple Dessert That's Always on Dolly Parton's Holiday Table
Two years later, Parton launched her first record company, Dolly Records (not to be confused with her own record label, Blue Eyed, which was housed under the company that is Columbia Records). Her first Dolly Records releases were the single "Better Get to Livin'" and her 2008 album Backwoods Barbie.
Related: Why Fans Are Calling Dolly Parton’s New Cast Iron Collection ‘Iconic’: ‘Jolene Please Don’t Take My Pan’
2010-2021: Dolly Parton releases a slew of unexpected collaborations
Billy Ray Cyrus for the album Brother Clyde (2010)Lulu Roman for a new rendition of "I Will Always Love You" (2013)Kenny Rogers for "You Can't Make Old Friends" (2013)Pentatonix for an a capella version of "Jolene" (2016)Kesha on a duet version of "Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You" (2017)—which Kesha's mom, Pebe Sebert, wrote and Parton originally released in 1978Miley Cyrus (her goddaughter!) for "Rainbowland" (2017)For King and Country for "God Only Knows" (2019)Zach Williams for "There Was Jesus" (2019)Monica, Jordin Sparks, Sara Evans and Rita Wilson for "Pink" (2020)Reba McEntire for a duet version of "Does He Love You" (2021)
In April 2020, Parton donated $1 million to COVID-19 vaccine research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Later that year, Parton released her holiday album, A Holly Dolly Christmas and starred in a televised holiday special of the same name.
In March 2022, Parton and bestselling author James Patterson co-wrote the novel Run, Rose, Run, with Parton releasing a studio album inspired by the book. A film adaptation from Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine was announced the same year, but remains in pre-production as of this writing in January 2026.
"Even though I am extremely flattered and grateful to be nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I don't feel that I have earned that right. I really do not want votes to be split because of me, so I must respectfully bow out," Parton said in a statement at the time. "I do hope that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will understand and be willing to consider me again—if I'm ever worthy. This has, however, inspired me to put out a hopefully great rock n' roll album at some point in the future, which I have always wanted to do!"
Pink inducted Parton into the Hall of Fame in November 2022.
She did just that: Parton released her aptly titled Rockstar album in November 2023, featuring the song "Rockin'," which she performed after her acceptance speech, as well as collaborations with Pat Benatar, Brandi Carlile, Sheryl Crow, Miley Cyrus, Melissa Etheridge,Mick Fleetwood, Peter Frampton, Rob Halford,Emmylou Harris, Debbie Harry, Joan Jett, Elton John, Simon LeBon, Lizzo, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Paul McCartney, Michael McDonald, Ronnie McDowell, Stevie Nicks, Linda Perry, Steve Perry, Pink, Richie Sambora, Nikki Sixx, Ringo Starr, Sting,Ann Wilson and more. It hit No. 1 on the country and rock album charts and No. 3 on the Billboard 200.
In September 2024, Parton and her sisterRachel Parton George released their first cookbook, Good Lookin' Cookin': A Year of Meals—A Lifetime of Family, Friends, and Food. Parton's kitchen contributions don't stop there: She also released cookware and baking mixes.
2025-2026: Dolly Parton does more collabs and reschedules her residency
On Valentine's Day 2025, Parton and Sabrina Carpenter teamed up for a reworked version of "Please Please Please." That March, Parton released the tearjerker "If You Hadn't Been There," an ode to her beloved late husband Carl Dean.
Parton was slated to begin a Las Vegas residency in late 2025, but postponed it to September 2026 due to health issues.
Related: How To Make the Best Ever Mac and Cheese, According to Dolly Parton (And Her Sister)
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