The Songs of Dolly Parton - Back Porch Songwriter Series

Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean (née Parton; January 19, 1946 – August 25, 2026) was an American singer-songwriter, actress and businesswoman. Dubbed the "Queen of Country", Parton was one of the most honored performers of country music in history, earning eleven Grammy Awards and three Emmy Awards, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, six Golden Globes and a Tony Award. She was also known for her cultural influence and philanthropy via Dollywood and the Dollywood Foundation. With more than 100 million records sold, Parton is among the best-selling music artists of all time.

Born into poverty in rural Tennessee, Parton wrote her first song at age six, performed regularly on TV by age ten, made her first recording a year later, and became a professional songwriter at sixteen. After writing songs for others, she released her debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly (1967), starting a nearly 60-year career. She released 49 studio albums and wrote more than 3,000 songs, including "I Will Always Love You" (a two-time U.S. country chart-topper and an international success for Whitney Houston that sold 24 million copies worldwide), "Jolene", "Coat of Many Colors", and "9 to 5".

Onscreen, Parton starred in 9 to 5 (1980) and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), both earning her nominations for Golden Globe, plus Rhinestone (1984), Steel Magnolias (1989), Straight Talk (1992), and Joyful Noise (2012). On television, she played Aunt Dolly in Hannah Montana (2006–2010), hosted Saturday Night Live (1989), and guest-starred on Reba (2005) and Grace and Frankie (2022). She produced and starred in the Netflix film Christmas on the Square (2021), winning a Primetime Emmy Award. On Broadway, she wrote the music and lyrics for the musical 9 to 5 (2009), for which she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Original Score. Her life will be depicted in Dolly: A True Original Musical (2026).

Parton's music received gold, platinum, and multi-platinum certifications from the Recording In