Dolly Parton's 81st Birthday Countdown

Dolly Parton's songs

Dolly Parton Timeline

About Dolly Parton

The fourth of twelve children from a one-room cabin in the Smoky Mountains, Parton wrote classics like 'Jolene' and 'I Will Always Love You' and built Dollywood, while her Imagination Library has mailed hundreds of millions of free books to children.

Three encores at thirteen

The fourth of twelve children from a one-room cabin on Locust Ridge, Tennessee, Dolly was singing on Knoxville radio at ten. In 1959, introduced by Johnny Cash, the 13-year-old made her Grand Ole Opry debut - and the crowd called her back for three encores. The morning after her 1964 high school graduation she boarded a bus to Nashville, and within a few years The Porter Wagoner Show had made her a country star. Her farewell song to Wagoner became 'I Will Always Love You.'

The night she said no to Elvis

Elvis Presley wanted to record 'I Will Always Love You,' but Colonel Tom Parker demanded half the publishing rights. Dolly cried all night - then said no, keeping the copyright for her family. Two decades later Whitney Houston's 1992 version became one of the best-selling singles ever, with every songwriting royalty flowing to Dolly. She holds 25 No. 1 Billboard country hits, a record for a female artist, plus 11 Grammy Awards.

Books in the mail, checks after the fire

Inspired by her father, who never learned to read, Dolly founded the Imagination Library in 1995 to mail free books to children - it passed 200 million books in 2023 and now gifts more than 2 million every month. After the 2016 Gatlinburg wildfires, her My People Fund gave $1,000 a month for six months to every family who lost their home. And her $1 million gift to Vanderbilt in 2020 helped fund Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine research.

Quick facts

• Born January 19, 1946, in Sevierville, Tennessee
• Made her Grand Ole Opry debut at 13, introduced by Johnny Cash - and earned three encores
• Reportedly wrote 'Jolene' and 'I Will Always Love You' in the same session
• Her 25 No. 1 Billboard country hits are a record for a female artist
• Her Imagination Library passed 200 million free books mailed in 2023
• Her $1 million gift to Vanderbilt in 2020 helped fund Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine research