See Dolly Parton's journey from humble beginnings to global fame

Porter Wagoner, left, and Dolly Parton walk on stage to accept their vocal group of the year award during the second CMA Awards at the Ryman Auditorium on Oct. 18, 1968. Presenter Chet Atkins, right, waits on the duo.

Presenters Dolly Parton, left, and Porter Wagoner, also a nominee, arrive for the Grammy Awards at the National Guard Armory in Nashville on March 12, 1969.

Dolly Parton performs while taping "The Porter Wagoner Show" at the WSM-TV studios on Sept. 2, 1970.

As Dottie West, fourth from right, sings "Born to be a Country Girl" during the WSM Luncheon and Spectacular at the Municipal Auditorium on Oct. 15, 1970, all the other Grand Ole Opry female singers file out to help her: Loretta Lynn, from left, Skeeter Davis, Mrs. Ben Smathers, Dolly Parton, Jeannie Seely, Margie Bowes, Del Wood, Minnie Pearl, Marion Worth and Jean Shepard.

Porter Wagoner, left, and Dolly Parton arrive for the CMA Awards banquet at Municipal Auditorium on Oct. 16, 1970.

Nominees Dolly Parton, left, and Porter Wagoner enjoy their dinner for the 13th Grammy Awards during the Nashville NARAS award banquet at Municipal Auditorium on March 16, 1971. The Grammys were held simultaneously in New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles, all telecast live on ABC.

Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner, center, speak to the audience after winning duet group of the year during the CMA Awards at the Ryman Auditorium on Oct. 10, 1971. Looking on are presenters Roy Clark, left, and Merle Haggard.

Dolly Parton, front right, gets her name on the Walkway of Stars at the Country Music Hall of Fame on April 4, 1972. Her name, along with those of Barbara Mandrell, Lynn Anderson, Gene Autry, the Statler Brothers, Glenn Sutton, Bonnie Owens and Charley Pride, were placed during a ceremony.

Lynn Anderson, left, Barbara Mandrell and Dolly Parton appear proud to see their names among the Walkway of Stars during ceremonies on May 5, 1972, at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Dolly Parton performs for a packed audience during the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Auditorium on July 21, 1973.

Dolly Parton primps in her backstage dressing room for the RCA Records breakfast and show at Municipal Auditorium on Oct. 20, 1973. The event is part of the 48th Grand Ole Opry birthday celebration.

Porter Wagoner, left, and Dolly Parton announced on Feb. 19, 1974, at Wagoner's Music Row office, that they would no longer be a team. Wagoner is looking for a replacement for his TV and road show, while Parton is looking for her own band.

Paul McCartney, left, and his family chat with Dolly Parton, second from right, and Porter Wagoner backstage during the third annual Grand Masters Fiddling contest at Opryland on June 16, 1974. McCartney's wife, Linda, and daughters Heather, 11, and Stella, 4, also enjoyed the music at the event.

Dolly Parton relaxes in her office on 18th Avenue South Oct. 5, 1974 during an interview. She talks about her new band, new bus, new directions after ending a seven-year partnership with Porter Wagoner.

Dolly Parton performs solo during the 8th annual CMA Awards show on Oct. 14, 1974.

Dolly Parton speaks to the audience after winning female vocalist of the year during the CMA Awards at the Grand Ole Opry House on Oct. 13, 1975.

Dolly Parton, right, makes her entrance while taping "The Grand Ole Opry at 50, A Nashville Celebration" at Grand Ole Opry House on Oct. 23, 1975. Cheering Dolly on is Emmylou Harris, left, and Barbara Mandrell.

Dolly Parton performs during the CMA Awards from the stage of the Grand Ole Opry House on Oct. 11, 1976.

Dolly Parton brings out her banjo during the CMA Awards on Oct. 11, 1976.

Dolly Parton, left, gets a kiss from presenter Mac Davis after she won female vocalist of the year during the CMA Awards on Oct. 11, 1976.

Dolly Parton accepts entertainer of the year during the CMA Awards on Oct. 9, 1978. She's flanked by presenters Johnny Cash, left, and Ronnie Milsap.

Carol Burnett and Dolly Parton perform a mock-melodramatic love song skit during the taping of the "Dolly and Carol in Nashville" TV special before a packed audience at the Grand Ole Opry House on Jan. 10, 1979.

Presenters Dolly Parton, left, and Barbara Mandrell react after naming George Jones as male vocalist of the year during the 14th annual CMA Awards show at the Grand Ole Opry House on Oct. 13, 1980. But Jones wasn't there because he was performing in Sparks, Nevada.

Co-stars Sylvester Stallone, left, and Dolly Parton ham it up at Opryland U.S.A. theme park's Roy Acuff Theater on June 18, 1984, as they say a few words to the audience prior to the Nashville premiere of "Rhinestone."

Dolly Parton, left, and Kenny Rogers are all smiles on Oct. 8, 1984, as they discuss plans for an upcoming Christmas special, the release of a duet Christmas album and a joint tour to begin New Year's Eve.

Dolly Parton, left, Janie Fricke, Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty conclude a segment of the fan-voted Music City News Awards celebrating the annual event's 20th anniversary on June 9, 1986.

Linda Ronstadt, left, Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton are perform during the CMA Awards at the Grand Ole Opry House on Oct. 13, 1986.

Dolly Parton performs "Applejack" for the crowd at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro on Nov. 1, 1986. She was co-billed with Kenny Rogers, along with newcomer T. Graham Brown.

Host Dolly Parton, center, has other stars join her during her hand-clapping country anthem to start the 22nd CMA Awards at the Grand Ole Opry House on Oct. 10, 1988.

Dolly Parton and the Christ Church Choir bring the audience to its feet with “He’s Alive” during the 21st Dove Awards at Tennessee Performing Arts Center’s Jackson Hall in Nashville on April 5, 1990.

Dolly Parton performs "Eagle When She Flies" during the 25th CMA Awards show at the Grand Ole Opry House on Oct. 2, 1991.

Dolly Parton, left, puts on the conductor's hat given to her by Metro Mayor Phil Bredesen in downtown Nashville for the unveiling of a new MTA “Music City Dolly Trolley" on Feb. 26, 1992.

Dolly Parton dons a conductor's hat for the unveiling of the new MTA “Music City Dolly Trolley" in downtown Nashville on Feb. 26, 1992.

Dolly Parton, second from right, performs with Emmylou Harris, left, Kenny Rogers, and Willie Nelson during the taping of "A Country Music Celebration" honoring the CMA's 35th anniversary at the Grand Ole Opry House on Jan. 13, 1993. Dolly was honored with a tribute segment.

Dolly Parton performs as she courts tour group business for Dollywood at the American Bus Marketplace '97, a motor coach industry convention at Opryland Hotel on Dec. 9, 1997.

Dolly Parton sings “Shine On,” which she wrote several months earlier, during the memorial service for the first lady of country music, Tammy Wynette, at the Ryman Auditorium on April 9, 1998. Parton sang one emotionally charged chorus of “I Will Always Love You” during the song.

Lee Ann Womack, left, couldn't believe it when she was singing a Dolly Parton song and was joined by Parton herself during a Fan Fair show at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds on June 22, 1998.

Second camera assistant Beth Horton, left, marks another take as Dolly Parton gets into the mood of the scene while filming “The Blue Valley Songbird” in Bethel, Tennessee, on July 28, 1999.

Dolly Parton, filling in for Patty Loveless, who was out of town, and host Vince Gill performs his and Loveless' "My Kind of Woman, My Kind of Man" during the 33rd CMA Awards at the Grand Ole Opry House on Sept. 22, 1999.

Dolly Parton, left, and Brad Paisley share the stage during their rehearsal session on Feb. 20, 2001, in preparation for the Grammy Awards. The pair both performed and presented an award together.

Dolly Parton, right, takes the first ride in her new wooden roller coaster Thunderhead at Dollywood on April 6, 2004.

Dolly Parton, left, presents video of the year to Toby Keith during the CMT Flame Worthy Awards show at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville on April 21, 2004.

Dolly Pardon sings “I Will Always Love You” during the CMT 100 Greatest Love Songs concert at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville on June 9, 2004.

Obviously having a good time, George Jones, left, and Dolly Parton crack up after missing their cues while filming a video for their new duet, "Blues Man," at the Grand Ole Opry House on Aug. 1, 2005.

Elton John, left, and Dolly Parton perform together during the CMA Awards at Madison Square Garden in New York on Nov. 15, 2005.

Dolly Parton, left, and Keith Urban perform together during the Music City Jam on Feb. 15, 2006.

Dolly Parton performs at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, on Sept. 15, 2006.

Dolly Parton, left, sings "I Will Always Love You" to Porter Wagoner during the celebration of Wagoner's 50th anniversary with the Grand Ole Opry on May 19, 2007. Parton wrote the song for Wagoner, who was her duet partner from 1967 to 1974.

Michael W Smith, left, and Dolly Parton talk to reporters after the GMA Gospel Hall of Fame Induction event at the Richland Country Club on Feb. 2 2009.

Dolly Parton poses for photographers at her star during the Music City Walk of Fame induction ceremony in downtown Nashville on Nov. 8, 2009.

Dolly Parton performs during the 85th birthday celebration of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on Oct. 9, 2010.

Dolly Parton performs during Dollywood’s 30th anniversary celebration at the park in Sevierville, Tennessee, on March 20, 2015.

Kenny Rogers, left, and Dolly Parton perform together during pre-taping for the "Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit for the My People Fund" telethon in Nashville on Dec. 13, 2016.

Dolly Parton, right, accepts the Gary Haber Lifting Lives Award as Brad Paisley looks on during the 11th Academy of Country Music Honors at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on Aug. 23, 2017.

Dolly Parton performs at her 50th Grand Ole Opry membership anniversary at the Opry House on Oct. 12, 2019.

Hosts Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood and Dolly Parton perform together during the 53rd CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 13, 2019.

Kelsea Ballerini, left, and Dolly Parton perform together during the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on March 7, 2022.

Dolly Parton performs during the 58th ACM Awards at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on May 11, 2023.

Dolly Parton, center, waves to her fans during the reception for the opening of the upcoming exhibition, “Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker,” at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville on May 19, 2025.

Dolly Parton stands for photos before the premiere of "Dolly Parton's Threads: My Songs in Symphony" at Nashville Symphony Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville on March 20, 2025.

Dolly Parton arrives for "Dolly: A True Original Musical" at Belmont University’s The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville on Aug. 8, 2025.