Young Dolly Parton
The humble origins of the queen of country music
Alex Q. Arbuckle
c. 1955-1970
Dolly Rebecca Parton was born in Sevier County, Tennessee on Jan. 19, 1946, the fourth of 12 children of Robert and Avie Parton. Her father, a poor construction worker and farmer, paid the doctor who delivered her with a bag of oatmeal. Dolly’s first musical performances began at age six, when she sang in the church where her grandfather was a pastor. The next year, she started to play guitar. Soon she began singing on local television and radio programs, and in 1959 she performed at the Grand Ole Opry, where she met and received encouragement from Johnny Cash.
We’ve got a little girl here from up in East Tennessee. Her daddy’s listening to the radio at home and she’s gonna be in real trouble if she doesn’t sing tonight, so let’s bring her out here. - Johnny Cash introducing Dolly Parton at the Grand Ole Opry, July 25, 1959
After graduating high school, Parton moved to Nashville and worked as a songwriter, eventually signing with Monument Records in 1965. In 1967, she joined with country entertainer Porter Wagoner on his television and road shows, and signed with his label. The two released several successful duets, and were named 1968 Vocal Group of the Year by the Country Music Association, but Parton’s solo efforts failed to find an audience. That changed in the early 1970s, as Parton’s renditions of “Mule Skinner Blues,” “Joshua” and “Coat of Many Colors” broke into the top of the charts. In October 1973, she released her single “Jolene,” launching a spectacularly successful solo career.
