Thanks to her powerful voice and songwriting skills, Dolly Parton has established her presence on both the country and pop music charts for decades. She rose from modest roots to become one of the most iconic names in the world. And beyond her incredible music talent, she has also proven over the course of her long career to be a philanthropist, using her fame and wealth to help others.
Born in 1946 as the fourth of twelve children in Tennessee, her first exposure to music came from family members, who sang and played guitar. At age 10, she started performing professionally, appearing on various radio shows and several television channels.
But it is through her collaboration with Porter Wagoner for “The Porter Wagoner Show” that she really found success. The duo recorded many successful hits together until she embarked on a solo career marked by songs like "Joshua," "Jolene," "I Will Always Love You," and "9 to 5," among others. She also starred in films and television projects, establishing herself as a multi-talented star, and has won countless awards.
It is safe to say that for every bit of success received, Parton gave back to others as much if not more, and her charity efforts are legendary. She for instance established her Dollywood Foundation to help students gain access to education, launched numerous funds to help the less fortunate and hospitals, created the Dolly Parton Scholarship for college hopefuls, supported transgender rights and racial equality movements, and dedicated time and money toward animal protection.
Last year, she also donated $1 million to help fund research into a cure for the coronavirus. When she wasn’t helping to support research efforts, she was comforting children during pandemic with a ten-week series of bedtime stories called “Goodnight With Dolly.”
“If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader,” she once said.
Throughout her career, Parton has delighted the masses with her big personality and motivational messages, and has provided unified comfort through her songs. She lives a life of kindness and generosity and will go down in history for not only her talent, but her dedication to giving back.