Dolly Parton is a famous American singer, songwriter, philanthropist, and businesswoman. Coming from Tennessee, she started her career at the age of 13 and has become one of the most successful country singers of all time.
In the six decades of her career, she’s written more than 3,000 songs and has won various accolades such as Grammy Awards, Country Music Awards, and several Grammy Award nominations.
She’s also known to be the one with the most Grammy Award nominations to her name till 2013 and has been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
To know more about this wonderful versatile artist, keep reading as we’ll show you more about her, career, personal life, total net worth, and more.
Personal Details
Celebrity Name: Dolly Parton
Real Name:.Dolly Rebecca Parton
Gender: Female
Sexual Orientation: Straight
Birthday: January 19, 1946
Birthplace: Pitman Center, Tenessee, United States
Age: 74 years old
Nationality: American
Status: Married
Spouse: Carl Dean
Height: 5’2”
Weight: 52 kg
Profession: Singer, Songwriter, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist
Net Worth: $500 million
Early Life and Upbringing
Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on the 19th of January 1946, in an incorporated town in Sevier County, Tennessee. She was one of twelve children to Avie Lee Caroline and Robert Lee Parton Sr. Her father worked as a farmer and a construction laborer while her mother was a homemaker for the family.
Dolly, in her own words, said that her family was “dirt poor” where she and her other siblings used to live in a rustic one-room cabin in a small rural town in the Great Smoky Mountains.
She started singing in their local church while she was still a young girl. Her uncle, a musician named Bill Owens, encouraged Dolly to sing in their local radio and television shows.
This exposure enabled her to have her first record title “Puppy Love” in the record label “Goldband”.
Personal Life
In 1966, Dolly Parton tied the knot together with the businessman Carl Thomas Dean. Although she doesn’t use her husband’s name professionally, she uses the name “Dolly Parton Dean” in official IDs like her passport and when she’s signing contracts.
She’s also the godmother of the popular singer Miley Cyrus.
Career as a Musician
The singer started her career as an adult in 1967 when she partnered with Porter Wagoner in the “Porter Wagoner Show”. This helped her get a music contract with RCA Records and in 1967, they released her first single, a cover of Tom Paxton’s “The Last Thing On My Mind.
From 1971 to 1973, Dolly released multiple chart-topping songs like “Joshua”, “Jolene”, and “I Will Always Love You”. The songs eventually became some of her signature songs which are still well known until today.
By 1976, she tried shifting to pop music in order to increase her visibility in mass media. The following year, she released “Here You Come again”, which reached the top of both pop and country music charts.
She continued to increase her popularity yet again when in 1980, she released more hit songs like “Starting Over Again”, “Old Flames Can’t Hold a Candle to You”, and “9 to 5”. Dolly then ended her contract with RCA Records and signed a new contract with Columbia Records in 1987.
Dolly then proceeded to release more albums in the following years like her 1993 critically acclaimed “Slow Dancing With the Moon”, her 2001 “Little Sparrow”, and her 2005 album “Those Were the Days”.
Acting Career
Aside from her singing career, Dolly Parton also went on to have a career in acting where she made her debut in the 1980 comedy feature film “9 to 5”.
After the success that she gained from her first film, she proceeded to have roles in more movies like the 1982 musical film “Best Little Whorehouse in Texas”, a 1984 comedy film with Sylvester Stallone called “Rhinestone” and the 1989 movie “Steel Magnolias”.
She’s also appeared in several television shows and movies like the 1986 musical fantasy “A Smoky Mountain Christmas” and also the 1992 romantic comedy film “Straight Talk” where she starred alongside the actor James Woods”.
Business Ventures
The money that Dolly earned in her music career was mostly invested in her business ventures like in East Tennessee, where she built “The Dollywood Company”.
It had operated a theme park called “Dollywood” and several other businesses like a theatre, resort, waterpark, and spa.
Her theme park became the 24th most visited theme park in the country. She then spread several of her businesses across the United States and she eventually sold one of her locations in Orlando, Florida to a developer.
Philanthropy
With the success that Dolly Parton has made through her career, she’s also been able to create and support multiple charities. During the mid-’80s, she created the “Dollywood Foundation” which is a support program to help children learn how to read till they reach kindergarten.
She’s also donated to the “American Red Cross” and several other charities related to HIV/AIDS.
In 2003, she made efforts regarding the preservation of the “American Bald Eagle” through the “American Eagle’s Foundation Sanctuary”. Her work earned her the “Partnership Award” from the “U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service”.
Awards and Nominations
Dolly has gotten a lot of awards and accolades throughout her career. She’s won several Grammy Awards for her songs like “Here You Come Again”, “9 to 5”, “Trio”, and “Shine”. Her overall successful career has also been awarded the “Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award” in 2011.
In 1999, she was inducted in the “Country Music Hall of Fame” and she’s also received several awards for Gold, Platinum, and Multi-Platinum from the RIAA.
Total Net Worth of Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton’s current net worth is estimated to be about $500 million dollars.
This is no surprise as she’s gained a lot through her successful career where she has sold over hundreds of millions of albums and also from her various business ventures.
