BIOGRAPHY
Dolly Rebecca Parton was born January 19, 1946, in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, and began writing songs before she could read. She started performing professionally at age 10 and made her Grand Ole Opry debut at 13. After graduating high school in 1964, she moved to Nashville to pursue country music. In 1967, Porter Wagoner hired her for his television program; their duets became famous during her seven years on the show. Her 1970 hit "Joshua" reached number one and launched her solo career. Parton later lost much of her core country audience, dissolving her fan club in 1997, before rebuilding a tradition-minded following through a series of critically acclaimed bluegrass albums starting in 1999.