Dolly-Parton

Dolly Parton was born on the 19th January, 1946 at Locust Ridge Tenn. She lived with 12 other children. The vivid imagination of her mother allowed her to escape the harsh realities of everyday life. Before she could write or read, she composed her own songs. In the year she turned eight, she bought the first electric guitar she owned and started singing at an Knoxville Tenn Radio Station. She recorded her first album within the same calendar year Gold Band Records, a small label that was an independent. She made a name for herself locally while still in high school but she always dreamed of having a bigger stage. The day after she graduated in 1964, she relocated to Nashville. Dumb Blonde (1967) and Something Fishy (1968) were her first two charting albums on Monument Records. Porter Wagoner, a syndicated show on TV at the time, was in search for a girl to sing for his show. Parton was offered the gig in 1967 signed to RCA Records in 1968 and became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1969. It was not until 1974 that she decided to leave Wagoner's band because the popularity of her own solo records such as Joshua Coat, Many Colors, and Jolene had outstripped their collaborative efforts. Parton composed "I will Always Be Loving You" in support of Wagoner just after the pair split. The track reached No. 1. for the first time in 1974.