Dolly Rebecca Parton (January 19, 1946 - August 25, 2026) was an American singer, songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman. After achieving success as a songwriter for other artists, Parton's debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly, was released in 1967, commencing a career spanning 60 years and 50 studio albums. Referred to as the "Queen of Country", Parton was one of the most-honored female country performers in history and received various accolades, including 11 Grammy Awards and three Emmy Awards, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards including a humanitarian honorary Oscar win in 2025, six Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award.
Parton sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists ever. Her music includes Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)-certified gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards. She had 25 singles reach No. 1 on the Billboard country music charts, a record for a female artist (tied with
Reba McEntire). She had 44 career Top 10 country albums, a record for any artist and she had 110 career-charted singles over the past 40 years. Her 49th and final solo studio album,
Rockstar (2023), became her highest-charting Billboard 200 album, peaking at number three.
Parton composed over 3,000 songs, including
I Will Always Love You (a two-time U.S. country chart-topper and an international hit for
Whitney Houston),
Jolene,
Coat of Many Colors, and
9 to 5.
As an actress, she starred in the films 9 to 5 (1980) and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), for each of which she earned Best Actress Golden Globe nominations, as well as Rhinestone (1984), Steel Magnolias (1989), Straight Talk (1992), and Joyful Noise (2012).
Since the mid-1980s, Parton supported many charitable efforts, particularly in the area of literacy, primarily through her Dollywood Foundation. Her literacy program, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, which is a part of the Dollywood Foundation, was founded in honor of her father, who never learned to read or write. It mails one book per month to each enrolled child from the time of their birth until they enter kindergarten. Over 1,600 local communities provide the Imagination Library to almost 850,000 children each month across the U.S., Canada, the UK, Australia and the Republic of Ireland. In February 2018, she donated her 100 millionth free book, a copy of Parton's children's picture book Coat of Many Colors, to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. and was honored by the Library on account of the "charity sending out its 100 millionth book".
-Wikipedia
Birth Name: Dolly Rebecca Parton
Born: January 19, 1946 in Pittman Center, Tennessee, U.S.
Died: August 25, 2026 (at age of 80) in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
From: Sevier County, Tennessee, U.S.
Spouse(s): Carl Thomas Dean
(businessman; married on May 30th, 1966)
Father:
Robert Lee Parton
(tobacco farmer; born in 1921)
Mother:
Avie Lee Parton (née Owens)
Sister:
Rachel Parton (aka Rachel Dennison; actress; born in 1959)
Stella Parton (actress; born on May 4th, 1943)
Brother:
Randy Parton (musician)
Floyd Parton (musician)
Education:
high school in Sevier County, Tennessee (graduated in 1964)
Genre(s):
Country,
country pop,
pop,
bluegrass,
gospel
Occupation(s):
Singer-songwriter,
record producer,
actress,
author,
musician,
business executive
Active From: 1955-present
Associated Acts:
Brad Paisley,
Bill Anderson,
Loretta Lynn,
Barbara Mandrell,
Reba McEntire,
Tammy Wynette,
Chet Atkins,
Cat Stevens,
Kenny Rogers,
Emmylou Harris,
Linda Ronstadt,
Cher,
Porter Wagoner,
Shania Twain,
Juice Newton,
Billy Ray Cyrus,
Miley Cyrus,
Willie Nelson,
Alison Krauss,
Brenda Lee,
Ricky Van Shelton,
Vince Gill,
Randy Travis,
Jan Howard,
Jeannie Seely,
Carrie Underwood,
Beyonce
Awards:
Grammy Awards
1978 Best Female Country Vocal Performance Here You Come Again
1981 Best Female Country Vocal Performance "9 To 5"
1981 Best Country Song "9 To 5"
1987 Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal Trio w/Emmylou Harris & Linda Ronstadt
2001 Best Bluegrass Album The Grass Is Blue
2002 Best Female Country Vocal Performance "Shine"
Quotes:
"I have little feet because nothing grows in the shade."
"If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another one."
"I had to get rich so I could afford to sing like I was poor again."
"There are plenty of charities for the homeless. Isn't it time somebody helped the homely?"
"I'm not offended by dumb blonde jokes because I know that I'm not dumb. I also know I'm not blonde."
"I describe my look as a blend of mother goose, cinderella, and the local hooker!"
"It takes a lot of money to make a person look this cheap!"
"I like to buy clothes that are two sizes too small and then take them in a little."
"If I see something sagging, bagging, and dragging, I'm going to nip it, suck it and tuck it. Why
should I look like an old barn yard dog if I don't have to?"
"It takes a lot of money to look this cheap."