Dolly Parton Biography, Photos and Posters

Dolly Parton

Biography

Born: January 19, 1946
Hometown: Locust Ridge, TN
Instrument: Vocalist
Music Training:
Awards: 1968 CMA - Vocal Group of the Year; 1970 CMA - Vocal Duo of the Year; 1971 CMA - Vocal Duo of the Year; 1975 CMA - Female Vocalist of the Year; 1976 CMA - Female Vocalist of the Year; 1988 CMA - Vocal Event of the Year TRIO; 1996 CMA - Vocal Event of the Year "I Will Always Love You" Dolly Parton and Vince Gill; 1978 Grammy Best Country Vocal Performance, Female, "Here You Come Again;" 1981 Grammy Best Country Song, 9 To 5; 1981 Grammy Best Country Vocal Performance, Female, "9 to 5;" 1987 Grammy Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal, Trio; 1999 Grammy Best Country Collaboration With Vocals, "After The Gold Rush;" 2000 Grammy Best Bluegrass Album, The Grass Is Blue; 2001 Grammy Best Female Country Vocal Performance, "Shine"
Top Recordings: "Put it Off Until Tomorrow," "Dumb Blonde," "Joshua," "Coat of Many Colors" and "Jolene," "Here You Come Again," "Islands in the Stream,"
Dolly Parton biography: Dolly Rebecca Parton was one of twelve children born in the Tennessee mountians to a sharecropper living in a one room log cabin. Although impoverished she was surrounded by music. This outspoken country woman recorded for three different recording companies before she finished high school. Her first recording "Puppy Love" made when she was only 12 already showed a distinct Hank Williams like honky-tonk style.

After graduating from school she packed her bags and moved to Nashville where she began carving out a career in the music industry. She first signed with Monument Records who felt that the more than well endowed Ms. Parton was more suited to the pop culture than the country. She penned several pop tunes for them and also sold her songs around the Nashville music industry. Her big break came when country singer Bill Phillips heard her demo of her tune which she had written and copyrighted. He wanted to record it using the girl singer (Dolly) on the demo. The resulting Decca recording was one of the biggest country hits of the year and brought Dolly to national prominence. After that she started recording more country songs for Monument. Her next hit record was "Dumb Blonde" which made the carts in 1967. Dolly was now a star and she started a stint as the girl singer on Porter Wagoner's TV show. This led to an eight year period in which she would record duets with Wagoner as well as continue her solo singing career. She left the Wagoner Show in 1974 since her solo efforts like "Joshua," "Coat of Many Colors" and "Jolene" were out performing her duets. After the split she wrote "I Will Always Love You" for Wagoner and it reached number 1 on the charts. In 1976 she got her own TV show which lasted for only 1 year. Her sound was becoming more pop than country and in 1978 she stayed on top of the country charts for 5 weeks with "Here You Come Again."

The 80s brought a whole new facet to Dolly's career as she began her acting career with parts in films like 9 to 5 and Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. The track "I Will Always Love You" was released from the film and went to number 1. In 1983 her duet with Kenny Rogers of the Bee Gees song "Islands in the Stream," topped the country charts. In 1987 she did a collaboration album Trio with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris out of which 4 singles reached the top 10 and "To Know Him Is To Love Him" hit the top of the charts. The same year she co-starred in yet another film Steel Magnolias. Her 1991 duet with Ricky Van Shelton, "Rockin' Years," reached No. 1, but her greatest success came when Whitney Houston recorded her "I Will Always Love You" for The Bodyguard soundtrack. In 93 she did another collaboration this time with Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette on the album Honky Tonk Angels. Throughout the 90s she tried in vain to secure a solo number 1 hit although she received critical acclaim for her work. In 1999 Dolly was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

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