On January 19, 1946, country music’s most long-enduring queen and beloved entertainer, Dolly Parton, was born. Parton has enjoyed one of the most lucrative careers of any country music star in history. She has gone beyond albums and live performances into authorship, acting, and franchising.
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She’s known for No. 1 country albums like Here You Come Again (1977), Heartbreaker (1978), 9 To 5 And Odd Jobs (1980), and many more. Parton is also known for her roles in films like The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas (1982), 9 To 5 (1980), and Steel Magnolias (1989). And she didn’t reach her career heights through nepotism. In fact, Parton is a massive inspiration because she did it all on her own, despite her humble beginnings.
Dolly Parton’s Humble Beginnings Didn’t Deter Her From a Life of Stardom
Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on this very day in 1946 in Pittman Center, Tennessee. She was famously born in a one-room cabin near the banks of the Little Pigeon River. The fourth of 12 children born to her mother, Avie Lee Caroline, and father, Robert Lee Parton Sr., Dolly Parton lived a humble life as a child.
Parton’s father was a sharecropper and later a small tobacco farm owner and construction worker. She often spoke of her father fondly, noting that he was illiterate but was very intelligent and had an incredible aptitude for business. Her mother cared for the family, despite being in poor health. Avie Lee Caroline shared Appalachian music with Parton and her siblings, likely spurring on Parton’s own love of music.
Parton began performing music as a young child, often singing on local radio and TV programs in Tennessee. At 13, she recorded her first single, “Puppy Love”. She appeared at the Grand Ole Opry before she was even an adult. Her early success in the industry came primarily through songwriting, later finding success on The Porter Wagoner Show before kicking off her ultra-successful solo career as a singer-songwriter.
Dolly Parton hasn’t slowed down yet. Despite now being in her glorious 80s, the country queen is still active in the music industry and her various franchises. She’s set to take on a six-date residency in Las Vegas. Though, that had to be postponed to late 2026 due to health setbacks. Parton’s most recent album releases are Rockstar from 2023 and Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith And Fables from 2024.
She survives her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, who tragically passed away in 2025. She released a tribute song to him, “If You Hadn’t Been There”, several days after his death.
Photo by UPI/Bettmann Archive/Getty Images
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