Dolly Parton Research Paper
Dolly Parton
“I still close my eyes and go home–I can always draw from that.”
-Dolly Parton (Dolly’s Childhood Home)
Dolly Rebecca Parton was born January 19, 1946, in Sevierville, Tennessee (Bio for Dolly Parton). She is best known for her signature looks and she is very proud of her looks. At a mere four feet eleven inches, this petite woman has a unique voice that is one-in-a-million. She is always seen in her platinum blonde wigs and her voluptuous figure. And, don’t forget her sparkling blue eyes along with her breathless voice. (Bio of Dolly Parton). Dolly Parton is best known for accomplishments as a country singer in the 20th Century.
She is the fourth child of twelve children to Robert Lee Parton, a tobacco sharecropper, and Avie Lee Parton. Dolly’s family had very little money. Her childhood home was a tiny, one-room cabin in the Smoky Mountains. There was only one bed in the entire house of which a total of the 14 people occupied. The dining table only seated six at a time. Dolly has always described her family as “dirt poor,” and she was not ever exaggerating (Dolly’s Childhood Home).
As a young girl, Dolly was introduced first to the sounds of gospel music. Her mother played a guitar and her grandfather, Rev. Jake Owens, was a fiddler and a song writer. The sounds of the precious music would …show more content…
soothe their worries about their money issues and other issues that they were being ridiculed for. After receiving her first guitar, it was like a heaven sent. Becoming a regular on the television show was the take-off for her country career. With the love of music in her family, her uncle Bill was the first to give Dolly her very own guitar and soon learned to also play the banjo. Within three years she became a regular on a local television show on Knoxville television station WIVK (NNDB). “Within a year of launching herself as a performer, Dolly had made her first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry and recorded her first record - a single titled Puppy Love, released by the Goldband label” (NNDB). After graduating high school, Dolly packed up and moved to Nashville to pursue her country music career. “Success as a performer in her own right proved elusive at first, but the young musician managed to secure a foothold in the cutthroat industry through her skills as a writer, her first significant hit arriving in 1966 when a Bill Williams recorded version of her song Put it Off Until Tomorrow climbed to number six on the charts” (NNDB). Also while in Nashville, she met, fell in love, and married still to this day Carl Dean (About Dolly Parton). Due to an unbelievable “allergic reaction she experienced to birth control pills when she was younger,” Dolly was not able to have any children of her own (Bio for Dolly Parton). But, Dolly and Carl did raise five of her younger brothers and sisters.
Her career soon took off with some help from Bill Owens. They had some chart breakthroughs together but that is not what Dolly was wanting. After Dolly went on to do a more of a solo country career, her dynamics changed. Her ballads and records became more diverse. She started to get the attention of a new audience. Dolly knew that her life had been changed forever in 1977 when Here You Come Again became a huge crossover success on the pop charts reaching number three and staying five weeks on the top of the country charts too (About Dolly Parton). “Parton became a genuine superstar with this crossover hit” (About Dolly Parton). After showing the world what Dolly Parton was very capable of doing with her voice, she went on to prove her acting skills. In her Nine to Five that carried its way through most of the 1980s. The program also had Parton’s Oscar nominated song 9 to 5 and its theme song. This only one of many of her songs to be ranked, nominated, or wins a prize throughout her lifetime. Wanting to do something for her state of Tennessee, Dolly decided to open up “Dollywood.” “’Dollywood’ is her theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and is the most popular tourist attraction in the state” (Bio of Dolly Parton). Another thing that Dolly has done in her life is that she has entered into a look-a-like contest for Dolly Parton. Unfortunately, Dolly didn’t look enough like herself that day because she lost. Wanting to her own record label, on August 1, 2007, Dolly Records was launched (Bio of Dolly Parton). She is the only artist to be signed to the label. Dolly’s name can be seen as you walk the Hollywood Boulevard Star Walk of Fame. And, these are ONLY a FEW accomplishments that have made it onto Parton’s list. Probably the most renowned accomplishment to be name is that she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000 (Dolly Parton). Or could it be that “her popularity as a live act remained undiminished during and throughout the 90s and 00s, and she has continued to regularly record and release albums into the fifth decade of her career” (NNDB).
Wanting to do more for community and for that of tomorrow’s future, Dolly opened the Imagination Library. Inspiration and imagination was forefront on Dolly’s mind when this idea became reality. She wanted every preschooler to be able to have their own collection of books. Each month over 560,000 children receive a book from the generosity of local sponsors and the Dollywood Foundation. They are able to start getting books from the day the child is born until they turn five-years-old, a book arrives in the mail for them. The Imagination Library was established in 1995 and is still running strong in over 1,100 communities in three countries – the U.S.A., Canada, and the United Kingdom. It has reached more than 560,000 children. In 2010, a great accomplishment was achieved; the 25,000,000th book was delivered. “By inspiring parents to read to their children, we can help them Dream More, Learn More, Care More and Be More!” (Imagination Library).
One of the many reasons that Dolly is loved so much is due to her open personality. Until recently, one part of her life has been able to fly under the radar. And that is her very close and personal relationship with Miley Cyrus. “Parton was bestowed the role of Miley’s ‘honorary’ godmother due to her close friendship with Miley’s dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, who opened shows for her back in 1992” (Dolly Parton Has a Surprising Family Role). Dolly has often defended her love for Miley through some rough patches such as the daring haircuts, marijuana usage, and an early engagement (Surprising Family Role). Throughout Miley’s career, she has honor Dolly by either singing duets with her or covering her classic song Jolene. Dolly didn’t allow an official ceremony to occur due to the fact she wasn’t sure that she was going to be able to fulfill her duties as a godmother. So she took on the role as a “fairy” godmother (Surprising Family Role). When choosing Dolly Parton, it was not a difficult choice for me.
As we were discussing the final paper as an option in class, Dolly Parton was the first and only the person to enter my mind. She has been in many different areas of my life as I have grown up. I remember being a little child playing on my grandfather’s farm and the sounds of classic country coming from the workshop. Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers were always a favorite. Or we watch the Grand Ole Opry specials on the television. At the time, I thought that was the worst thing in the world that I could be getting tortured with at the moment. Now I look back and I miss those
moments. Another reason for Dolly Parton would be due to my mother. Whenever we are on a car trip, she gets out her home-made CDs. On anyone of her CDs, you can guarantee that there is going to be Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Trisha Yearwood, and a few others. It’s probably due partly to her parents too but these women and their duets will forever be instilled into my heart. It is amazing how a song will take you back to a moment in life. Every year at Christmas time when I was younger, we would bake cookies to a holiday record of Dolly Parton’s. Until this day, every year at the holidays, we listen to that same record.
References
About Dolly Parton. (2013). Artist.CMT website. Retrieved February 23, 2013. From http://www.cmt.com/artists/dolly-parton/biography/. Biography for Dolly Parton. (2013). IMDb website. Retrieved February 23, 2013. From http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000573/bio.
Dolly Parton. (2013). NNDBTracking the Entire World website. Retrieved February 27, 2013. From http://www.nndb.com/people/088/000023019/.
Dolly Parton. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved February 23, 2013. From http://www.biography.com/people/dolly-parton-9434112.
Dolly Parton Has A Surprising Family Role-That You Just May Not Know About! (January 18, 2013). YAHOO! MUSIC website. Retrieved February 23, 2013. From http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/our-country/dolly-parton-surprising-family-role-just-may-not-205451471.html.
Dolly Parton’s Childhood Home in Tennessee. (March 28, 2008) HOOKEDONHOUSES website. Retrieved February 23, 2013. From http://hookedonhouses.net/2008/03/28/dolly-partons-childhood-home-in-tennessee/.
Imagination Library. (2013) Dollywood website. Retrieved February 27, 2013. From http://www.dollywood.com/learn-about-dollywood/Imagination-Library.aspx.
“I still close my eyes and go home–I can always draw from that.”
-Dolly Parton (Dolly’s Childhood Home)
Dolly Rebecca Parton was born January 19, 1946, in Sevierville, Tennessee (Bio for Dolly Parton). She is best known for her signature looks and she is very proud of her looks. At a mere four feet eleven inches, this petite woman has a unique voice that is one-in-a-million. She is always seen in her platinum blonde wigs and her voluptuous figure. And, don’t forget her sparkling blue eyes along with her breathless voice. (Bio of Dolly Parton). Dolly Parton is best known for accomplishments as a country singer in the 20th Century.
She is the fourth child of twelve children to Robert Lee Parton, a tobacco sharecropper, and Avie Lee Parton. Dolly’s family had very little money. Her childhood home was a tiny, one-room cabin in the Smoky Mountains. There was only one bed in the entire house of which a total of the 14 people occupied. The dining table only seated six at a time. Dolly has always described her family as “dirt poor,” and she was not ever exaggerating (Dolly’s Childhood Home).
As a young girl, Dolly was introduced first to the sounds of gospel music. Her mother played a guitar and her grandfather, Rev. Jake Owens, was a fiddler and a song writer. The sounds of the precious music would …show more content…
soothe their worries about their money issues and other issues that they were being ridiculed for. After receiving her first guitar, it was like a heaven sent. Becoming a regular on the television show was the take-off for her country career. With the love of music in her family, her uncle Bill was the first to give Dolly her very own guitar and soon learned to also play the banjo. Within three years she became a regular on a local television show on Knoxville television station WIVK (NNDB). “Within a year of launching herself as a performer, Dolly had made her first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry and recorded her first record - a single titled Puppy Love, released by the Goldband label” (NNDB). After graduating high school, Dolly packed up and moved to Nashville to pursue her country music career. “Success as a performer in her own right proved elusive at first, but the young musician managed to secure a foothold in the cutthroat industry through her skills as a writer, her first significant hit arriving in 1966 when a Bill Williams recorded version of her song Put it Off Until Tomorrow climbed to number six on the charts” (NNDB). Also while in Nashville, she met, fell in love, and married still to this day Carl Dean (About Dolly Parton). Due to an unbelievable “allergic reaction she experienced to birth control pills when she was younger,” Dolly was not able to have any children of her own (Bio for Dolly Parton). But, Dolly and Carl did raise five of her younger brothers and sisters.
Her career soon took off with some help from Bill Owens. They had some chart breakthroughs together but that is not what Dolly was wanting. After Dolly went on to do a more of a solo country career, her dynamics changed. Her ballads and records became more diverse. She started to get the attention of a new audience. Dolly knew that her life had been changed forever in 1977 when Here You Come Again became a huge crossover success on the pop charts reaching number three and staying five weeks on the top of the country charts too (About Dolly Parton). “Parton became a genuine superstar with this crossover hit” (About Dolly Parton). After showing the world what Dolly Parton was very capable of doing with her voice, she went on to prove her acting skills. In her Nine to Five that carried its way through most of the 1980s. The program also had Parton’s Oscar nominated song 9 to 5 and its theme song. This only one of many of her songs to be ranked, nominated, or wins a prize throughout her lifetime. Wanting to do something for her state of Tennessee, Dolly decided to open up “Dollywood.” “’Dollywood’ is her theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and is the most popular tourist attraction in the state” (Bio of Dolly Parton). Another thing that Dolly has done in her life is that she has entered into a look-a-like contest for Dolly Parton. Unfortunately, Dolly didn’t look enough like herself that day because she lost. Wanting to her own record label, on August 1, 2007, Dolly Records was launched (Bio of Dolly Parton). She is the only artist to be signed to the label. Dolly’s name can be seen as you walk the Hollywood Boulevard Star Walk of Fame. And, these are ONLY a FEW accomplishments that have made it onto Parton’s list. Probably the most renowned accomplishment to be name is that she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000 (Dolly Parton). Or could it be that “her popularity as a live act remained undiminished during and throughout the 90s and 00s, and she has continued to regularly record and release albums into the fifth decade of her career” (NNDB).
Wanting to do more for community and for that of tomorrow’s future, Dolly opened the Imagination Library. Inspiration and imagination was forefront on Dolly’s mind when this idea became reality. She wanted every preschooler to be able to have their own collection of books. Each month over 560,000 children receive a book from the generosity of local sponsors and the Dollywood Foundation. They are able to start getting books from the day the child is born until they turn five-years-old, a book arrives in the mail for them. The Imagination Library was established in 1995 and is still running strong in over 1,100 communities in three countries – the U.S.A., Canada, and the United Kingdom. It has reached more than 560,000 children. In 2010, a great accomplishment was achieved; the 25,000,000th book was delivered. “By inspiring parents to read to their children, we can help them Dream More, Learn More, Care More and Be More!” (Imagination Library).
One of the many reasons that Dolly is loved so much is due to her open personality. Until recently, one part of her life has been able to fly under the radar. And that is her very close and personal relationship with Miley Cyrus. “Parton was bestowed the role of Miley’s ‘honorary’ godmother due to her close friendship with Miley’s dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, who opened shows for her back in 1992” (Dolly Parton Has a Surprising Family Role). Dolly has often defended her love for Miley through some rough patches such as the daring haircuts, marijuana usage, and an early engagement (Surprising Family Role). Throughout Miley’s career, she has honor Dolly by either singing duets with her or covering her classic song Jolene. Dolly didn’t allow an official ceremony to occur due to the fact she wasn’t sure that she was going to be able to fulfill her duties as a godmother. So she took on the role as a “fairy” godmother (Surprising Family Role). When choosing Dolly Parton, it was not a difficult choice for me.
As we were discussing the final paper as an option in class, Dolly Parton was the first and only the person to enter my mind. She has been in many different areas of my life as I have grown up. I remember being a little child playing on my grandfather’s farm and the sounds of classic country coming from the workshop. Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers were always a favorite. Or we watch the Grand Ole Opry specials on the television. At the time, I thought that was the worst thing in the world that I could be getting tortured with at the moment. Now I look back and I miss those
moments. Another reason for Dolly Parton would be due to my mother. Whenever we are on a car trip, she gets out her home-made CDs. On anyone of her CDs, you can guarantee that there is going to be Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Trisha Yearwood, and a few others. It’s probably due partly to her parents too but these women and their duets will forever be instilled into my heart. It is amazing how a song will take you back to a moment in life. Every year at Christmas time when I was younger, we would bake cookies to a holiday record of Dolly Parton’s. Until this day, every year at the holidays, we listen to that same record.
References
About Dolly Parton. (2013). Artist.CMT website. Retrieved February 23, 2013. From http://www.cmt.com/artists/dolly-parton/biography/. Biography for Dolly Parton. (2013). IMDb website. Retrieved February 23, 2013. From http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000573/bio.
Dolly Parton. (2013). NNDBTracking the Entire World website. Retrieved February 27, 2013. From http://www.nndb.com/people/088/000023019/.
Dolly Parton. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved February 23, 2013. From http://www.biography.com/people/dolly-parton-9434112.
Dolly Parton Has A Surprising Family Role-That You Just May Not Know About! (January 18, 2013). YAHOO! MUSIC website. Retrieved February 23, 2013. From http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/our-country/dolly-parton-surprising-family-role-just-may-not-205451471.html.
Dolly Parton’s Childhood Home in Tennessee. (March 28, 2008) HOOKEDONHOUSES website. Retrieved February 23, 2013. From http://hookedonhouses.net/2008/03/28/dolly-partons-childhood-home-in-tennessee/.
Imagination Library. (2013) Dollywood website. Retrieved February 27, 2013. From http://www.dollywood.com/learn-about-dollywood/Imagination-Library.aspx.