Dolly Parton, queen of country, has died

Dolly Parton has died at 80. The news was announced by the family of the American singer, songwriter and actress, whose career spanned nearly sixty years and who stood among the most popular figures in American culture. An 11-time Grammy winner, including a Lifetime Achievement Award, she had sold over 100 million records worldwide.

Born on January 19, 1946 in Pittman Center, Tennessee, she grew up dirt poor, the sixth of twelve children. She showed an innate talent for music from childhood, performing in church and on local radio. After moving to Nashville in 1964, she began writing songs for other artists before launching her solo career. She started writing songs as a child, performed on local radio at eleven, and made her debut on the Grand Ole Opry stage at thirteen. After graduating high school she moved to Nashville, where she began working with Porter Wagoner and established herself on the country scene.

Dolly, the blonde, exuberant Dolly, is the embodiment of that "art of escape" that every woman born into disadvantage should learn to cultivate from the earliest age. And that's exactly what the artist behind "Coat Of Many Colors" (1971) and "Jolene" (1974), two of her most famous records, did: from girlhood on, against all odds and without compromise, she nurtured her desire to be herself, giving her body and her femininity an importance that the people of her hometown simply couldn't understand — and which they harshly criticized instead.
Dolly Rebecca Parton found success alongside country singer Porter Wagoner. With him she recorded a string of hits before going solo in 1974 with the album "Jolene", kicking off a career that never confined itself to Nashville country but often crossed over into pop and rock territory.
Her debut album, "Hello, I'm Dolly" (1967), contained hits like "Dumb Blonde" and "Something Fishy", marking the start of a long string of triumphs. In the 1970s she established herself as one of the most important country singers thanks to records like "Coat Of Many Colors" (1971), "Jolene" (1974) and "New Harvest… First Gathering" (1977).

By the late 1970s, Parton had begun shifting toward a more pop-oriented sound, scoring huge success with "Here You Come Again" (1977), which marked her first entry into the mainstream charts. In the 1980s she cemented her superstar status with hits like "9 To 5" (1980), the theme song from the film of the same name in which she starred, and "Islands In The Stream" (1983), her famous duet with Kenny Rogers.
Beyond music, Dolly Parton built a successful film career, appearing in movies like "9 To 5" (1980), "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" (1982) and "Steel Magnolias" (1989). She also built a genuine business empire, founding the Dollywood theme park in 1986 and launching numerous charitable initiatives, including the Imagination Library, which provides free books to children.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Parton kept releasing acclaimed albums, including "The Grass Is Blue" (1999), "Little Sparrow" (2001) and "Blue Smoke" (2014). She received countless honors, including Grammy Awards and the Kennedy Center Honors. In 2022 she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a testament to her influence far beyond country music.
Able to turn her flashy look into a source of strength and self-deprecating wit, Parton paired her music career with a successful run in film. She made her acting debut in 1980 in "9 to 5", earning an Oscar nomination for the title song, and later appeared in films such as "Steel Magnolias". In Tennessee she also founded Dollywood, which became one of the state's most visited amusement parks.
Her philanthropic work was just as significant. Through the Imagination Library she distributed free books to children, while during the pandemic she donated a million dollars to Vanderbilt University research that helped in the development of the Moderna vaccine. In 2022 she entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, having already been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Beyond the awards, she considered songwriting the center of her life: "I hope to be remembered as a good writer. The songs are my legacy." It is through those songs, capable of telling stories of poverty, desire, independence and redemption, that Dolly Parton leaves her deepest mark.
With a career spanning over six decades, Dolly Parton can rightfully be considered one of the greatest songwriters of all time. Twenty-five of her songs reached number one on Billboard's genre charts; over her lifetime she wrote roughly three thousand songs.

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google