Dolly Rebecca Parton—the fourth of 12 children—was born January 19, 1946, in Sevierville, Tennessee.
By age 10, Dolly was already a star on local TV and radio.
The day after Dolly graduated high school, she moved to Nashville to pursue her dreams of becoming a star.
The self-proclaimed "Backwoods Barbie" grew up in a one room cabin without electricity or running water in the Smoky Mountains.
Love called—and Dolly answered when she married Carl Dean on May 30, 1966. The two met the day Dolly arrived in Nashville in 1964 and are still together.
Dolly's big break took place when she joined The Porter Wagoner Show, a popular syndicated show, in 1967.
Don't underestimate this blonde's ambition. Dolly's career has spanned more than 50 years and includes music, television, movies and even her own theme park, Dollywood, which celebrates her small-town Tennessee roots.
Dolly poses in this undated photo.
Dolly has toured across the world and has sold more than 100 million albums.
Photo: Keystone/Stringer/Getty Images
Country music queen Dolly Parton wraps up her London tour in 1977.
Photo: Patrick Riviere/Getty Images
Dolly smiles during a 1987 press conference.
Photo: Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images
Dolly waves at fans during her arrival at Radio City Music Hall for the 36th Annual Grammy Awards on March 1, 1994.
In 1996, the Dollywood Foundation started its Imagination Library Project. The program gives out books to children once a month from the time they're born until they start kindergarten. The program spread throughout Tennessee and eventually expanded all over the United States.
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In 1996, Dolly was awarded Vocal Event of the Year at the Country Music Awards for her performance of "I Will Always Love You" with Vince Gill.
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Dolly has had 25 number one singles, including "I Will Always Love You," "9 to 5," "Coat of Many Colors" and "Jolene."
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Dolly is all smiles at the National Press Club, where she spoke about her literacy efforts in March 2000.
Photo: Hugo Philpot/AFP/Getty Images
Dolly hits the mark with this pose during the 2001 promotion of her album "Little Arrow" in London.
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
In 2003, the country songbird performed in the Women Rock! concert, an annual event for the fight against breast cancer.
Photo: Mark Mainz/Getty Images
Dolly is pretty in pink when stepping out for the 2006 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at Morton's in West Hollywood.
Photo: Matt Carr/Getty Images
The country music hall of famer serenades an audience at Radio City Music Hall in New York City in 2008.
Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images
Dolly performs at
Kenny Rogers: The First 50 Years show at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods in Connecticut on April 10, 2010.
Dolly Parton's big life
