The “Queen of Country” turned 80 on Monday, and the state of Tennessee honored singer Dolly Parton with her own day.
On Friday, Gov. Bill Lee declared Jan. 19 as “Dolly Parton Day,” noting that her life and career “is woven into Tennessee’s music, culture, and rich history.”
“Her talent and generosity have made a lasting impact on the world, and it is fitting that we honor her 80th birthday by celebrating her remarkable legacy and dedication to the Volunteer State,” Lee said.
Parton has made her mark worldwide as a singer, songwriter, actress, producer, entrepreneur, author and philanthropist. In 1985 she started her Imagination Library, a free book program that now aids millions of children, and the Dollywood theme park in her native Sevier County that opened in 1986 attracts millions of fans annually.
As a musician, Parton has sold more than 100 million records and has had 25 songs hit No. 1 on the U.S. country music charts. She also was nominated for 55 Grammy Awards -- winning 10 -- and her songs “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” have been enshrined in the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2011, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys.
Parton also has won three Emmy Awards and was nominated for two Academy Awards.
She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999, and in 2022 entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Parton has not one, but two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame -- awarded in 1984 (solo) and 2018 (with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris).
In 2004, Parton was awarded the Living Legend Medal by the Library of Congress. The following year, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts. And in 2024, Billboard tapped her as No. 1 in its 100 greatest country music artists list.
“There’s never been anyone like her, and it’s impossible to believe that there ever will be again,” Billboard wrote.
Not bad for someone born as the fourth of 12 children on Jan. 19, 1946, in Locust Ridge, Tennessee.
The story has been told that Parton’s father did not have enough money to pay the doctor when she was born, so he gave the physician a bag of grain -- varying versions say oats, others say corn meal.
Parton, born into a musical family, made her television debut in Knoxville when she was 10. She made her first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry in 1959, when she was 13.
In 1964 she moved to Nashville after graduating from high school. There, she met her future husband, Carl Dean, whom she remained married to until his death in March 2025.
The proclamation issued for “Dolly Parton Day” by the governor “recognizes Parton’s lifetime of achievement, service, and positive influence.”
Her “generosity, humility, and dedication to improving the lives of others exemplify the values of the Volunteer State and serve as an inspiration to Tennesseans and people worldwide,” the proclamation read.
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