Dolly Parton
songwriterappalachiancrossoverjolene
Dolly Parton (born 1946) is one of the most accomplished songwriters in American music history, with over 3,000 songs to her credit, including Jolene, I Will Always Love You, Coat of Many Colors, 9 to 5, and Islands in the Stream. Born the fourth of twelve children in a one-room cabin in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, she moved to Nashville the day after her high school graduation. Her early work with Porter Wagoner gave way to a solo career that produced some of country's greatest albums: Coat of Many Colors (1971), Jolene (1974), and My Tennessee Mountain Home (1973). Her crossover into pop in the 1980s expanded her audience without diluting her songwriting. Whitney Houston's version of I Will Always Love You became one of the best-selling singles of all time. Beyond music, her Dollywood theme park and Imagination Library literacy program have cemented her as a beloved American icon.
Subgenres
Classic Country
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Key Albums
Coat of Many Colors1971 ·
My Tennessee Mountain Home1973 ·
Jolene1974 ·
Here You Come Again1977 ·
9 to 5 and Odd Jobs1980 ·
Trio (with Emmylou Harris & Linda Ronstadt)1987 ·
The Grass Is Blue1999 ·
Rockstar2023 ·