Dolly Parton - Born 1946
American Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Actress and Business Woman
Added to the album by Vicky, A Wonderful Woman
Really, who could fail to love Dolly Parton?
Hadley Freeman, The Guardian
As in the last blog post, Judi Dench - Wonderful Woman No. 128, today we celebrate another Wonderful Woman who has had a wonderfully long and interesting career. For someone of my generation, it is hard to imagine the world before Dolly Parton.
Dolly grew up in Tennessee, USA, she was from a poor family, raised in a one-room cabin. Dolly was determined to make something of her life and to make money. She performed from early childhood and made her television debut at the age of nine. She recorded her first single Puppy Love at the age of thirteen. She has since recorded more than forty studio albums, with releases in every decade from the 60s to now. The country star is responsible for penning some of the world's most recognisable tracks such as I Will Always Love You, Jolene and My Tennessee Mountain Home. She has received countless awards and accolades, and is one of the few artists who has managed to transcend the label of being a country artist, not just in the USA but globally too.
Dolly has also forged a career in film and television. On television she has made countless appearances and hosted her own shows, she was also characterised as one of Jim Henson's Muppets by the name of Polly Darton. She has starred in thirteen films, including Steel Magnolias, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe, and the brilliant 9-5, which also gained her a Golden Globe nomination and for which she also wrote the fantastic theme tune.
Dolly has invested much of her earnings into businesses in the American state where she grew up, most notably she is the co-owner of The Dollywood Company. Dollywood is the 24th-most-popular theme park in America. It is a family friendly tourist attraction but also hosts a number of events, including an annual 'Gay Day,' gay rights being one of the many causes Dolly supports. As well as numerous business ventures, Dolly is also the founder of the charity the Dollywood Foundation, the foundation includes a literacy programme which sends a book to every child enrolled once a month, the program distributes more than 2.5 million free books to children annually, education being another of the causes Dolly champions, there are many more.
Dolly Parton is not just a cheery personality with catchy songs, she is real, strong, emotional, Wonderful Woman. A woman who has done so much for others as well as striving to create a better life for herself. She's best known for her blonde hair and her sassy quips but she's really a savvy business woman, a great songwriter, an awesome performer and a true philanthropist.
I'm not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm not dumb... and I also know that I'm not blonde.
Dolly Parton
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