Dolly Parton’s Legacy Burns Bright

Dolly Parton, the beloved all-American country-western singer known as the "Queen of Country," has passed away at the age of 80 from unspecified ongoing health challenges. Parton is known not only for her massive catalog of music but for her glamorous, dazzling sense of style with towering hair, bright lipstick, and sparkly rhinestone outfits.

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She has described her "country belle" aesthetic as being a parody of the local "tramp" in her youth in small-town Tennessee. She has famously remarked, "It costs a lot to look this cheap."

Origins and Backstory

Parton was born on January 19, 1946, in Pittman Center, Tennessee, into a family of 12 children. Her father was a tobacco farmer and sharecropper, and the family was so "dirt poor" that they had to live in a single-room cabin off the grid. Her father paid the doctor who delivered her with a sack of cornmeal.

Her family's home was filled with music and storytelling, and Parton became so enthralled by music that she began creating her own instruments as a young girl. At age 8, she finally received a guitar, learned to play and sing, and by age 10, she was on local radio and television. By age 13, she was on the Grand Ole Opry, introduced by Johnny Cash.

She was the first in her family to graduate high school, and right after receiving her diploma, she took off to start a career in Nashville.

Dolly parton young

Record

Parton has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making her not only one of the best-selling country music artists but one of the best-selling music artists, period! People of all ages can recognize her many hits, such as "Here You Come Again," her #1 signature smash "9 to 5," and her other bestseller, the iconic "Islands in the Stream" duet with Kenny Rogers.

READ MORE: COUNTRY ICON DOLLY PARTON DEAD AT 80

Please share your favorite Dolly Parton song or memory!