It’s difficult to find a country performer who has moved from country roots to international fame more successfully than Dolly Parton. At 13, she was already recording on a small label and appearing on the Grand Ole Opry. Her 1967 hit “Dumb Blonde” caught Porter Wagoner’s ear, and he hired Parton to appear on his TV show, where their duet numbers became famous. By the time her “Joshua” reached number one in 1970, Parton was a bigger star than her boss. During ’70s, she established herself as a country superstar, crossing over into pop in the early ’80s. She also began appearing in movies, most notably the hit 9 to 5. Among her classics hits are: “Jolene,” “Kentucky Gambler,” “I Will Always Love You” and “Tennessee Homesick Blues.” Her 1996 album was a praised collection of unusual covers. Hungry Again followed in 1998. A solo effort, Little Sparrow, was issued in early 2001 and Halos & Horns in 2002. For God and Country appeared in 2003 and was followed by Live and Well a year later. Those Were the Days from 2005 found Parton covering her favorite pop songs from the ’60s and ’70s. 2008 saw the release of Parton’s first mainstream country album in nearly 20 years, Backwoods Barbie. Live from London followed in 2009. An album of all Parton-written material, Better Day, appeared in 2011. More recently, Pure & Simple dropped in 2016. Legendary Dolly Parton continues slam home runs with her amazing live performances.
