If her ultra-teased blonde hair and sunny Southern attitude weren’t enough, Dolly Parton is one of the most iconic figures to ever grace country music. Her reach extends beyond the genre—though she is very much The Queen of Country—for between her fashion, movie, and television appearances, and extensive philanthropy work, there is a lot to love about her.
Videos by American Songwriter
Parton was born and raised in Tennessee and began singing country music at a young age. At 13, she appeared on Grand Ole Opry for the first time, and she’s been a household name ever since. She’s had twenty songs hit the Billboard Hot 100 since 1977, with three entering the top 10, and two reaching number one. Now aged 77 and still an active part of the industry, Parton’s catalog of unforgettable pop culture moments is just as expansive as those in her music library, and growing.
1. 9 To 5 (1980)
Between the success of 9 To 5 And Odd Jobs, its titular track, and the movie adaption, this era of Dolly Parton is easily one of her most recognizable.
“9 To 5” was released in 1980, becoming her first No.1 hit. Accompanying the release cycle was a movie by the same name, directed by Colin Higgins with 20th Century Studios, and starring Parton along with Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda. The movie seeks to resolve the struggles expressed on “9 To 5”—being exploited at an office job by a greedy boss as he gets richer and richer, and the office staff experience none of the same mobility. Judy, Violet, and Doralee abduct their boss in the movie to be able to take credit for their hard work.
The movie won Parton two Golden Globes in 1981 for Best Comedy or Musical Actress in a Motion Picture and the award for New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture. “9 To 5” received several accolades for its inclusion in the movie, including an Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song in 1981.
2. Her “Acrylic” Playing with Patti LaBelle
Anyone can make an instrument out of anything, but Dolly Parton has a fitting makeshift instrument for her hyper-feminine image: her acrylic nails. On her show The Dolly Show, Parton welcomed soul musician Patti LaBelle for a chat in 1987. The two had instant chemistry, talking about their mutual values and their songwriting processes.
Parton talks about turning non-instruments like her lap and car dashboard into an instrument while on the go and shows how she can create “a lil’ rhythm” by scraping the top of her acrylic nails together to create a washboard-like sound. LaBelle also demonstrates using her own nails, and the two break out into song, performing a portion of the African-American folk song “Shortnin’ Bread.” Though LaBelle admits they rehearsed beforehand, the two harmonize with each other to pitch perfection, with only their nails to guide their rhythm.
Parton has admitted several times over the years that she even wrote “9 To 5” on her nails, as she didn’t have her guitar with her while on set for 9 To 5. She told NBC News in 2020 that the method was particularly fitting because the movie and song were about women in the workplace, and she even included her acrylic playing on the record “just for fun.”
3. Dollywood Opens in 1986
Settled in the Smokies of Tennessee, Dollywood has been a family getaway staple for over thirty years. But what inspired Dolly Parton to create her own amusement park, of all endeavors?
The lot had a storied history, originally built to host a train attraction called Rebel Railroad in 1961. It was designed to be an Old West-style town, where visitors could take a ride on a novelty train and visit a salon and blacksmith shop. Ownership changed hands a couple of times in the 1970s before Parton took over. With dreams of creating her own attraction in her hometown, she partnered with Jack and Pete Herschend, the recent-most owners of the property, as they believed it would be wiser to start a joint business venture with Parton rather than compete with her.
Parton told ABC in 2010 that she wanted to give back to her hometown community with the opening of Dollywood. She stated, ‘I always thought that if I made it big or got successful at what I had started out to do, I wanted to come back to my part of the country and do something great, something that would bring a lot of jobs into this area.’
4. The Jolene Album Cover
Though the singer has posed on nearly all of her album covers, the cover for her 1974 album Jolene is among one of the greatest. Between “I Will Always Love You,” and of course, its title track “Jolene,” Jolene has become a cult classic over forty years after its release. The album combines elements of the old Western sound and the modern folk movement, creating a musical profile that tantalizes listeners of all backgrounds.
Audiences are greeted by a headshot of Parton with teased and feathered hair, surrounded by a lace frame, then boxed in yellow. The title, using a dainty typeface, has some embellishments to either side and includes Parton’s name below it in the same font. While simple, the cover perfectly compliments Parton’s Southern Belle aesthetic, which audiences can instantly recognize as her.
5. The Imagination Library & Beyond
Dolly Parton still makes music to this day but has placed a lot of focus on her philanthropy work. She has founded and contributed to many charities since 1988 with the Dollywood Foundation, dedicated to the education and wellbeing of children residing in Sevier County, Tennessee where Parton grew up. It would later become The Imagination Library but still stays true to its mission.
The Imagination Library provides children with books to supplement their current, and future, education. The non-profit was created in honor of Parton’s father, who was illiterate.
Photo by Will Russell/Getty Images
