A look back at Dolly Parton’s legendary career
As the world mourns Dolly Parton, the legendary country music megastar whose stardom transcended genre and industry, fans and followers are taking a look back at her unparalleled career.
Parton, whose death at 80 was announced on Tuesday by her publicist, leaves behind a career that spans music, books, movies, television, amusement parks, business ventures, and more, all of which serve to further memorialize the iconic singer and songwriter.
The ‘Queen of Country’
Parton’s success in the music world is implicitly tied to Music City — Nashville, Tennessee — where Parton moved in her early adult years to pursue her dream of country music stardom.
After moving to Nashville, Parton notched her very first Top 40 hit with her song “Dumb Blonde” in 1967, according to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Parton’s success would not be short-lived: Her star continued to rise after she earned a spot as a singer on “The Porter Wagoner Show,” a music variety show, also in 1967.
The 1970s and the decade that followed would see Parton solidify her musical career into the stuff of legends. Parton’s fame soared to meteoric heights with the release of hit singles including “Jolene,” “Love Is Like a Butterfly,” and “I Will Always Love You,” as well as popular albums like 1971’s “Coat of Many Colors,” 1973’s “My Tennessee Mountain Home.”
In 1980, she released the album “9 to 5 and Odd Jobs.” The album included the title track “9 to 5,” which served as the theme song for the film of the same that debuted that same year.
More recently, Parton released an album of rock ‘n’ roll songs and covers, simply titled “Rockstar.” The album featured collaborations with names such as Ann Wilson, Rob Halford, Nikki Sixx, John 5, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Linda Perry, Pink, Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton, Miley Cyrus and more.
Parton is the recipient of 10 Grammy Awards out of 55 total nominations, according to the Recording Academy website.
In 2014, the Record Industry Association of America recognized Parton for sales of over 100 million units worldwide, including 19 RIAA-certified gold, platinum and multi-platinum albums out of the more than 100 studio, live and compilation albums she released during her six-decade-plus recording career.
