Raised in poverty in a one-room cabin in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, Dolly Parton was the fourth youngest of 12 children.
Throughout her childhood, she performed on local radio and television, and recorded her first single at 13. After graduating high school, she moved to Nashville and released her first hit single Dumb Blonde.
These early pictures show her rise to become one of the most beloved entertainers in the world – you can see more in this full lookback through Parton’s career in pictures.
Image source, Nancy Barr/MediaPunch via AlamyDolly Parton, bottom right, aged five
Image source, Nancy Barr/MediaPunch via AlamyPictured aged 14 at Sevier County High School in 1960. Parton had released her first single a year prior, at the age of 13
Image source, Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesMoving to Nashville the day after graduating, Parton – pictured here in 1965 – scored her first solo hit with Dumb Blonde in 1966
Image source, Nancy Barr Brandon/MediaPunch/ShutterstockParton performing at live country music show, the Grand Ole Opry – which she became a member of in January 1969
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