Dolly-Parton

Dolly Parton, born Jan. 19, 1946 in Locust Ridge Tenn. to 12 children from a poor family children who would grow up together eventually, learned very early how to get out of difficulties with her incredibly vibrant imagination. Before she learned to read and write Dolly Parton was composing her own songs. After getting her first instrument at age of eight, she started to perform at radio stations in Knoxville in Tennessee. That following year, she made her debut album for Gold Band Records an independent small label. She made a name for herself locally while still at high school, but wanted to perform on a larger stage. She moved to Nashville shortly after her graduation in 1964. Her first charting hits for Monument Records included Dumb Blonde and Something Fishy both in 1967. Porter Wagoner, a syndicated television show host at the time, was in search for a female singer on his show. Parton got her first gig in 1967, signed with RCA Records by 1968, and became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. It was not until 1974 that she decided to leave Wagoner's band because the popularity of her solo albums like Joshua Coat, Many Colors, and Jolene had outstripped their collaborative efforts. Parton wrote "I Will Always Love You" in support of Wagoner soon after their split. The track hit the top spot at No. For the first time, in 1974.