Beloved country music superstar Dolly Parton passed away on Tuesday following a brief battle with cancer, her publicist confirmed. Throughout her seven-decade career, Parton gained the love and adoration of millions of people around the world and improved the lives of millions.
Parton’s career began in childhood. By age 10, she was singing on radio and television programs in Tennessee, including an appearance on “The Cas Walker Show.”
Parton’s uncle, Bill Owens, a songwriter himself, recognized the talents of his niece and wanted her to showcase them in the country music capital of Nashville. On her first day in the city, she would meet her husband of 59 years, Carl Dean.
After a stint as a songwriter where she scored multiple top-10 hits, she signed with Monument Records in 1965. The success of her debut studio album, “Hello, I’m Dolly,” brought her to the television scene, joining “The Porter Wagoner Show.”
Her work with Wagoner would turn her into a national star. In seven years, the pair recorded 13 studio albums, scoring frequent hits.
In 1969, Parton was officially inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry, one of country music’s highest honors. After establishing herself as one of country music’s up-and-coming stars, her solo career blossomed in the 1970s.
In 1971, while still performing as a duet with Wagoner, her solo career was cemented with her first No. 1 solo hit in “Joshua.” It was the first in a collection of absolute classics that dominated the country music scene in the early 1970s and beyond.
Later that year, Parton released her signature biographical song, “Coat of Many Colors,” one of many songs in her discography showcasing her deep appreciation for her childhood, despite her poor upbringing. She also reminisced on her childhood and love for Tennessee in her 1973 album and title track, “My Tennessee Mountain Home.”
In late 1973, Parton released her now-permanent country staple, “Jolene.” Inspired by a real red-headed bank teller who flirted with her husband, the classic hit was a desperate plea that has been repeated for decades since.
After finally getting a taste of the solo career she had been dreaming of since childhood, Parton chose to bid farewell to her mentor and musical collaborator, Wagoner, and expressed her gratitude in what became one of the most iconic songs of all time, “I Will Always Love You.” It went No. 1 twice on the Billboard Country charts and became a staple in Parton’s discography.
It was around that time that Parton fully embraced her signature style. Inspired by the local town “tramp” from her childhood, she created a persona decked out in rhinestones, bedazzled outfits, high heels and even higher wigs. “The higher the hair, the closer to God,” Parton would say.
The 1980s established her as a movie star as well. Her lead role in the smash-hit comedy film, “9 to 5,” accompanied by a two-time Grammy-winning song of the same name, would make her a permanent staple in popular culture. The film was the start of many on-camera ventures for her, including her other classic films: “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” “Rhinestone” and “Steel Magnolias.”
The 1980s were also the start of her expansive charitable work and philanthropy. In 1986, Parton opened Dollywood, a theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, which established a culture hub in the area and created new jobs and opportunities for thousands of people near her hometown.
Her dedication to East Tennessee is amplified in 1988 when she established The Dollywood Foundation. The foundation provides scholarships to thousands of kids in the area to continue their education. Children’s education and literacy became a huge part of Parton’s charitable work, eventually founding “Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library,” which has donated over 300 million books to children worldwide.
In 1992, her already iconic song, “I Will Always Love You,” was sent into the stratosphere following “The Bodyguard” soundtrack cover by Whitney Houston. The cover would spend 14 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and won a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance, which Parton presented to Houston.
Her later career throughout the 2000s expanded her accolades and turned her into a top global performer. In 2011, Parton received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2022 she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, leading to the creation of her rock album in 2023, “Rockstar.”
Throughout her seven-decade career, her number of accolades were the only thing comparable to her contributions to society. Parton sold over 100 million albums worldwide, won 11 Grammy Awards, had 25 No. 1’s on the Billboard Country charts and donated as much as $600 million throughout her life.
Parton will be forever known as the “Queen of Country,” but she will also be remembered as an icon of fashion, film, hair and most of all, kindness. She will always be one of the most influential singer-songwriters of all time.
