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Renowned American country music legend, singer and songwriter, Dolly Parton, died in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, on August 25 at the age of 80. The award-winning artiste and “Queen of Country” was also an actress, entrepreneur, philanthropist and businesswoman.
Born Dolly Rebecca Parton on January 19, 1946, in Sevierville, Tennessee, she was the fourth of 12 children born to Avie Lee Caroline and Robert Lee Parton in a one-room cabin on the banks of the Little Pigeon River in Pittman Centre, Tennessee.
Despite her father’s illiteracy, Parton acknowledged that he was one of the smartest people she had ever known with regard to business and making profit. She credited her musical talent to her mother’s influence, stressing that in spite of her poor health, she still managed to keep the house and entertain her children with Great Smokey Mountain folklore and old ballads.
Parton portrayed her family’s poverty in her early songs, “Coat of Many Colours” and in the “Good Old Days” (When Times Were Bad). Music played an important role in her early life as well as the church. She was brought up in the Church of God, in a congregation pastored by her grandfather, Jake Robert Owens. Her earliest public performances were in the church beginning at the age of six. Her music was a sort of escape from poverty.
Parton started playing a home-made guitar at seven and her first real guitar at eight. She wrote her first song at age six and performed regularly on TV by age 10. She made her first recording a year later and became a professional songwriter at 16. Her debut album, Hello, I’m Dolly, was released in 1967.
In a career that spanned almost six decades, Dolly Parton released 49 studio albums and wrote over 3,000 songs, including the 1973 classic, “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” which became a two-time US country chart-topper and an international success for Whitney Houston that sold 24 million copies worldwide. “Jolene” topped the country chart in February 1974 and reached the lower regions of the Hot 100. It later entered the chart in the UK, reaching number seven in 1976. This represents Parton’s first UK success.
In 1974, Parton’s three solo singles reached number one on the country chart, “Jolene”, “I Will Always Love You”, and “Love is Like a Butterfly”, and the duet with Wagoner, “Please Don’t Stop Loving Me.” She also topped the singles chart in 1975 with “The Bargain Store.” Parton’s 1977’s “Here You Come Again,” was her first million-seller, topping the country album chart and reaching number 20 on the pop chart.
In 1978, Parton won a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her album, “Here You Come Again.” Her other hits, “Heartbreaker” (1978), “Baby I’m Burning (1979), and “You Are the Only One” (1979) were on the chart in the pop Top 40 and topped the country chart. Her music cut across many genres, including country, bluegrass, gospel and rock. Her best songs include “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “9 to 5.”
Her major musical influences were many, including some big-name stars of her time. However, she often credited much of her inspiration to her family and community. In her 2020 book, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics, Parton wrote of her mother, “So it was just natural for my mom to always be singing. My mother had that old-timey voice and she used to sing all these songs that were brought over from the Old World. They were English, Irish, Welsh, folk songs where people tell stories.”
She also said that her biggest influence was her aunt, Dorothy Jo, Mama’s baby sister. She was not only an evangelist, she played banjo, she played guitar and she wrote great songs.
Dolly Parton’s music resonates with many people the world over because of her lyrical strength, melody and relatable universal themes. She sang about poverty, love, faith and belief in God and everyday experiences of people. Beyond being a music star and hero, she was humble and a strong woman of faith. Despite her global fame, she still believed in God and had a personal relationship with her God.
Parton confessed that her marriage of 59 years to Carl Dean, who died last year, was due to their differences. To Parton, being opposites was instrumental to the success of their union. Dolly Parton will be remembered for her soulful, inspiring and meaningful evergreen songs, love, warmth and philanthropy.
As one of the greatest country performers, Parton earned 11 Grammy awards and three Emmy awards and nominations for two Academy awards. She extended her cultural influence and philanthropy through Dollywood and the Dollywood Foundation. No doubt, Parton impacted the world with her powerful lyrics, love and philanthropy. She will be sorely missed.
