Dolly Parton is and always will be one of country music’s greatest icons. Campy, glamorous, and irreverent, this petite young woman from Sevierville, Tennessee, became not only a well-rounded artist but also a philanthropist with a huge heart. She won 11 GRAMMY Awards and received the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles. Through her Imagination Library, founded in 1995, she has also helped put millions of books into the hands of children. And yes, the woman behind the towering wigs and rhinestones has written books herself. Today, we celebrate one of the pioneers of glam country and look back at the rare photos that capture Dolly Parton’s remarkable journey. Keep reading to see how this East Tennessee girl grew into a cultural icon.
#1: Smoky Mountain Childhood (1950s)
Before the wigs, rhinestones, and international fame, Dolly Parton was just a young girl growing up in Sevier County, Tennessee. These childhood portraits capture her natural beauty, bright smile, and short, wavy hair during her school years. The future music legend was already charming everyone around her with the sweet expression and star quality that would eventually take her from the Great Smoky Mountains to the top of the world.
