Dolly Rebecca Parton is born on January 19th near Sevierville, Tennessee.
1957
Records first song at age 11, "Puppy Love"
1959
She performs at the Grand Old Opry at age 13 with three encores.
1962
Dolly is signed to Tree Publishing & Mercury Records & releases her first single that she co-wrote, "It's Sure Gonna Hurt." The song does not chart & she is dropped from Tree & Mercury.
1964
First in her family to graduate from high school.
1966
Dolly receives a BMI Country Song Writing Award for Bill Phillip’s Top 10 hit "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" which she also sang un-credited harmony. Dolly get married.
1967
"Dumb Blond," hits No. 24, becoming her first recording success. It is followed with "Something Fishy," which hits No. 17. Dolly's first full-length album, Hello, I'm Dolly is released. Dolly joins Porter Wagner’s show & he becomes her manager. Their duet "The Last Thing on My Mind" enters Billboard's country chart, hitting No. 7.
1968
Their first duet album, Just Between You & Me, is released
1968
Just Because I'm a Woman album, is released. The title song reaches No. 17.
1968-1970: Dolly & Porter release duet & solo albums every few months. Dolly’s solo "Mule Skinner Blues (Blue Yodel No. 8)" hits No. 3 & is nominated for a Grammy. In 1968, Dolly is nominated for CMA Female Vocalist of the Year & wins the Music City News Most Promising Female Artist. For the next two years, she & Porter win the CMA for Vocal Group & the Music City News Award for Duet of the Year with Grammy noms in 1969 & 1970. She joins the Grand Old Opry.
1970
“Joshua” becomes her first No. 1 and earns her second solo Grammy nomination.
1973-1975
"Jolene," becomes Dolly’s second No. 1 & begins a two-year streak of five consecutive No. 1’s: "Jolene," "I Will Always Love You," "Please Don't Stop Loving Me" (her only No. 1 duet with Porter), "Love is Like a Butterfly," & "The Bargain Store."
1975-1976
She commits to her own syndicated television show, then the most expensive show ever produced for syndication. She wins the CMA Female Vocalist of the Year both years & gets her first Entertainer of the Year nomination.
More then 2 ½ years since her last No. 1, "The Bargain Store", "Here You Come Again" hits No. 1 on the country charts & No. 3 on the pop charts. "It's All Wrong But It's All Right," hits No. 1 on the country charts & "Two Doors Down," goes to No. 19 on pop.
1978
Becomes the 1st female country singer to have an album go platinum. Heartbreaker hits No. 1 on the country charts & No. 37 on pop. The year ends with the second single, "I Really Got the Feeling," & its B-side, "Baby I'm Burning," both on the charts. Dolly wins the 1978 country female Grammy (her first) & takes home top honors, Entertainer of the Year, at both the 1977 ACM Awards & 1978 CMA Awards. She becomes the first country star to pose for the cover of Playboy, wearing a shimmering Playmates outfit she designed. She also does a TV special with Cher & Rod Stewart, earning an Emmy nomination.
1979
"I Really Got the Feeling" goes to No. 1 on the country charts. “Baby I'm Burning" hits No. 25 on the pop charts. Her album, Great Balls of Fire, is released with the No. 1, "You're the Only One." Porter files a multi-million dollar breach of contract suit against her for dissolving their business partnership. She settles out of court for about $1 million & a new duet album.
1980-1981
9 to 5 is released & it brings 3 Golden Globe nom, Best New Film Star & Best Song as well as the Peoples Choice Award for Best Actress & an Oscar nom for the title song, which is a country & pop No. 1. Wins two more Grammies as well as nominations for Song of the Year & as for best music from a film. The album, 9 to 5 & Odd Jobs, goes gold & wins her first ACM Female Vocalist of the Year Award.
1982
Dolly stars in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, the third-highest grossing musical ever. Her re-recording of "I Will Always Love You" breaks a record for being the only artist to hit No. 1 twice with the same song.
1983-1986
Islands in the Stream is No. 1 on both charts for two weeks, single that year to go double platinum. Its nominated for a Grammy & wins the ACM Best Duo, MCN Best Duo, American Music Association Best (pop) Duo & many other awards.
Dolly's third film, Rhinestone starring Sylvester Stallone, is a flop but does produce one country No. 1 for her & a Grammy nomination.
1984
Inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame & Once Upon a Christmas goes double platinum.
1986
Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Opens Dollywood (4th most visited park in US.) Co-wrote and starred in Smoky Mountain Christmas, ABC's highest rated special in more than two years.
1987
Her ABC variety series flops, but she is paid $44 million to cancel a second season. Trio with Emmylou Harris & Linda Ronstadt breaks the Top 10, goes Platinum, wins a Grammy, the ACM Album of the Year, MCN Vocal Collaboration of the Year & CMA Top Vocal Event.
1988
Wins Peoples Choice Awards for Favorite Female Performer in a New TV Series & Favorite All-Around Female Performer. Establishes the Dollywood Foundation as well as a wellness & rehabilitation center at Sevier Medical Center
Steel Magnolias wins the People's Choice Award for Best Drama. After two years without an album, she releases White Limousine (Gold) which spawns two No. 1’s, "Why'd Ya Come in Here Lookin' Like That" & "Yellow Roses." Receives an honorary doctorate by Carson Newman College.
1991
The platinum Eagle When She Flies is released, spawning her last No. 1, "Rocking Years" making her Billboard's All-Time Top Female Country Artist and the only one to score No. 1s in three different decades. Dolly stars and co-writes another TV movie, Wild Texas Wind.
1992
Whitney Houston records "I Will Always Love You" for The Bodyguard, & sells several million copies as it stays No. 1 for 14 weeks. Dolly gets top billing for the first time with Straight Talk, which is marginally successful.
1993
Dolly releases Slow Dancing with the Moon, which sells 1 million copies & goes platinum. She also releases Honky Tonk Angels with Loretta Lynn & Tammy Wynette.
1994-1997
Her autobiography, "My Life & Other Unfinished Business," which is a New York Times Bestseller. Dolly's third version of "I Will Always Love You," a duet with Vince Gill, hits No. 15 on the country charts. It received a Grammy nomination & won the CMA Vocal Collaboration of the Year Award.
1996
She stars in another highly-rated Christmas television movie, Unlikely Angel.
1997
Dolly’s techno dance remixes of her cover of Cat Stevens' "Peace Train" b/w “Two Doors Down” race to No. 4 on the dance sales charts.
1998
Hungry Again is released to massive critical acclaim but little sales success.
1999
Trio II, with Emmylou Harris & Linda Ronstadt, is released & is a hit at No. 4 on Billboard's country charts. Dollywood opens the Southern Gospel Hall of Fame, & releases her first gospel album in 30 years. Blue Valley Songbird airs on Lifetime. Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Her first bluegrass album The Grass Is Blue is released.
2000
Trio II picks up a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Collaboration. The Grass Is Blue wins the Association For Independent Music Awards' Best Bluegrass Album award & International Bluegrass Music Association Awards' Album of The Year. Dolly also picks up the British Country Music Association's Top International Independent Label Artist award.
2001
The Grass Is Blue wins the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album. Dolly releases her follow-up to that CD, Little Sparrow, reaching No. 12 U.S. & holding onto Britain's No. 1 for two full months.
2002
“Shine” wins the Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal. & Little Sparrow is named the Association For Independent Music Awards' Best Bluegrass Album. Dolly releases a third bluegrass-influenced CD, Halos & Horns, with a cover of "Stairway To Heaven," & tours for the first time in a decade. The CD debuts at No. 4 on the U.S. country albums chart & No. 1 on Britain's.
2003
Halos garners Dolly two more Grammy nominations & her first nomination for Female Vocalist Of The Year at the CMA Awards in 16 years. She releases For God & Country. Also opens her fourth Dixie Stampede dinner theatre. Headlines the annual Capitol Fourth concert in Washington, D.C. The cast of "9 to 5" reunite for a fundraiser.
2004
Dolly releases Live and Well on cd and DVD and embark on her 100+ city "Hello, I'm Dolly" tour. Her latest single is Viva las Vegas with the Grascals.
