Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on January 19, 1946 in Sevierville, Tennessee. She is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actress, author, and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Parton began performing as a child, singing on local radio and television programs in the Eastern Tennessee area. By age nine, she was appearing on The Cas Walker Show in Knoxville, Tennessee. At thirteen, she was recording (the single "Puppy Love") on a small Louisiana label, Goldband Records, and appeared at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. The day after she graduated from high school in 1964, Parton moved to Nashville. Parton's initial success came as a songwriter, having signed with Combine Publishing she wrote a number of charting singles, including two top ten hits: Bill Phillips' 1966 record "Put it off Until Tomorrow", and Skeeter Davis' 1967 hit "Fuel to the Flame". Parton went on to sign with Monument Records in late 1965 where she achieved minimal success. Though she expressed a desire to record country material, Monument resisted, thinking her voice was not suited to the genre. It was only after her composition, "Put It Off Until Tomorrow," as recorded by Bill Phillips (and with Parton on harmony), went to number six on the country music charts in 1966, that the label relented and allowed her to record country. In February 1971, Parton had her first number-one single, "Joshua." She has had many chart hits since then - some of which are "I Will Always Love You, "Love is Like a Butterfly, and The Bargain Store. Parton had her own syndicated-television variety show, Dolly! (1976 -1977). During this period, many performers, including Rose Maddox, Kitty Wells, Olivia Newton-John, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt, covered her songs. Dolly Parton's 1977 hit Here You Come Again, became her first million-seller, topping the country albums chart and reaching No. 20 on the pop albums chart. "9 to 5", the theme song to the feature film 9 to 5 from 1980 in which Parton starred in along with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, not only reached number one on the country charts, but also, in February 1981, reached number one on the pop and the adult-contemporary charts, giving her a triple-number-one hit. She also continued to explore new business and entertainment ventures such as her Dollywood theme park, that opened in 1986 in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Since the mid-1980s, Parton has supported many charitable efforts, particularly in the area of literacy, primarily through her Dollywood Foundation. From the early 1990s through 2001, her concert appearances were primarily limited to one weekend a year at Dollywood to benefit her Dollywood Foundation. Parton is one of the most-honored female country performers of all time. The Record Industry Association of America has certified 25 of her single or album releases as either Gold Record, Platinum Record or Multi-Platinum Record. She has received eight Grammy Awards. She was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Parton was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1969. In 2005 she was presented with the National Medal of Arts, the highest honor given by the U.S. government for excellence in the arts and is presented by the U.S. President. In 2012 The New York Times placed her title Dream More: Celebrate the Dreamer in You on their Bestseller List.
