Dolly Parton's Life in Photos
Dolly Parton sings, acts and champions children's literacy. Look back at this living legend's best shots.
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Dolly Rebecca Parton—the fourth of 12 children—was born January 19, 1946, in Sevierville, Tennessee.
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By age 10, Dolly was already a star on local TV and radio.
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The day after Dolly graduated high school, she moved to Nashville to pursue her dreams of becoming a star.
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The self-proclaimed "Backwoods Barbie" grew up in a one room cabin without electricity or running water in the Smoky Mountains.
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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.
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Dolly's big break took place when she joined The Porter Wagoner Show, a popular syndicated show, in 1967.
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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.
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Dolly poses in this undated photo.
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Dolly has toured across the world and has sold more than 100 million albums.
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Photo: Keystone/Stringer/Getty Images
Country music queen Dolly Parton wraps up her London tour in 1977.
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Photo: Patrick Riviere/Getty Images
Dolly smiles during a 1987 press conference.
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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.
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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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Photo: Collier/AFP/Getty Images
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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Photo: Diane Freed/Stringer/Getty Images
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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Photo: Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty Images
Dolly is all smiles at the National Press Club, where she spoke about her literacy efforts in March 2000.
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Photo: Hugo Philpot/AFP/Getty Images
Dolly hits the mark with this pose during the 2001 promotion of her album "Little Arrow" in London.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
Dolly Parton's big life
Published 05/21/2010