A look back at the music career of Dolly Parton: Hit songs, unforgettable fashion and more

Dolly Parton is a powerhouse singer, fashion icon, successful businesswoman and philanthropist. The country music singer was born on Jan. 19, 1946, in Locust Ridge, Tennessee. She was born into a growing family as the fourth of 12. 

Parton began performing early, stepping onto her first big stage in 1959 at the Grand Ole Opry when she was 13 years old. Parton’s career really kicked off when she replaced Norma Jean on “The Port Wagoner Show” in 1967.

After a few years on the show, Parton earned a record deal with RCA as a duo with Wagoner and a solo artist. Parton’s first No. 1 hit song came in 1971 with the song “Joshua.”

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She officially launched her own solo career in 1974. During that year, she released her popular song “Jolene.” She also released the song “I Will Always Love You,” a ballad later recorded by Whitney Houston.

In 1980, Parton starred in the movie “9 to 5,” the film for which Parton’s hit song of the same name was made. Parton was nominated for an Oscar for the song. Her other acting work includes the 1984 movie “Rhinestone” with Sylvester Stallone and “Steel Magnolias” in 1989.

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In 1975 and 1976, Parton was voted the Country Music Association’s Female Vocalist of the Year. In 2004, she received the Living Legend Award from the U.S. Library of Congress and earned the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.