Dolly Parton is a Grammy winning singer and songwriter recognized for her distinctive voice and the emotional depth of her lyrics. The country music star is also an actor, producer, entrepreneur, and one of the few celebrities beloved by nearly everyone. As she celebrates her 80th birthday, we are looking back at her seven-decade career.

Parton was born on January 19, 1946, in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, and grew up in rural Appalachia as one of 12 siblings. She learned about music at a young age from her mother who sang and played guitar, and from singing in church. She started writing songs and playing guitar and was performing professionally by the age of 10. Three years later she debuted on the Grand Ole Opry and moved to Nashville as soon as she graduated high school.

In the late 1960s Parton performed with Porter Wagoner as a singing duo, which helped get her a contract with RCA. Her first No. 1 hit was “Joshua” in 1971, soon followed by the No. 1 songs “Jolene” in ’73 and “I Will Always Love You” in ’74. Going back to the early days of her career, Parton was savvy enough to protect the publishing rights to her songs giving her control over the music and the royalties. Elvis Presley wanted to cover “I Will Always Love You” but when his manager insisted that Parton would have to sign over half the publishing rights to the song, she refused the deal.

More popular country tracks followed like “Love is Like a Butterfly,” “The Seeker,” and “All I Can Do,” earning Parton the Country Music Award for Female Vocalist in ’75 and ’76. “Here You Come Again” became her first country-pop crossover hit and earned Parton her first Grammy Award. She followed it up with emotional songs like “It’s All Wrong, But It’s Alright,” “Heartbreaker,” and “Starting Over Again,” each of which reached No. 1 on country charts.

In ’83, she and Kenny Rogers released the duet “Islands in the Stream,” then a few years later she collaborated with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt on the album, Trio. Parton worked with Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette on Honky Tonk Angels in the early ‘90s, then released The Grass is Blue, and Little Sparrow a few years later. In 2008, she released Backwoods Barbie and 12 years after that she dropped A Holly Doll Christmas. Then in 2023 she released her first rock album, Rockstar, and a year later she released Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith & Fables.

Parton added actor to her résumé in 1980, starring in the workplace comedy 9 to 5 with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. She wrote the soundtrack’s title song, which became another No. 1 hit, earned her two Grammys, and an Academy Award nomination. Two years later, Parton starred in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas with Burt Reynolds and in ’84 she played a country singer opposite Sylvester Stallone in the musical Rhinestone.

She starred in Steel Magnolias, a tearjerker filled with Southern charm that also starred Sally Field and Julia Roberts. Parton has also been in Straight Talk, Unlikely Angel, Frank McKlusky, Joyful Noise, and TV Christmas movies like Christmas on the Square.

In 1986, Parton continued to grow her brand by opening Dollywood, a theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee near her hometown. She is also co-owner of the Dollywood Company that owns and operates multiple entertainment venues, resorts, and parks.

Throughout her long career, Parton has won 10 Grammys, has been nominated for two Academy Awards, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.