Dolly-Parton

Dolly Parton, who was born in Locust Ridge Tenn. on Jan. 19. 1946 to a low-income family, with twelve kids eventually included, discovered early that she was able to escape the hardships of her life by using a creative mind. Before she could write and read, she was making up the songs she wrote herself. Within 8 years she got her first guitar. At age 11 when she was 11, she began singing at Knoxville Tenn's local radio station. The same year she released her first record on Gold Band Records a tiny independent label. Her name was made for herself locally while still at high school, but dreamed of a bigger stage. When she was graduating in 1964 she moved to Nashville. Dumb Blonde (1967) and Something Fishy (1968) were her two first charting albums from Monument Records. In the year 1967, Porter Wagoner was looking for an actress to sing for his television show that was syndicated. Parton joined Grand Ole Opry 1969 after having signed in 1969 with RCA Records. It was not until 1974 that she opted to walk away from Wagoner's program as the popularity of her own solo records including Joshua Coat, Many Colors and Jolene had outstripped their collaborative efforts. Parton recorded I Will Always love You in honor of Wagoner after their breakup. It made it to No. In 1974, the song by Parton I Will Always Love You climbed to No.