Dolly Rebecca Parton (January 19, 1946 – August 25, 2026) was an American singer, songwriter, actress, and philanthropist known primarily for her decades-long career in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album debut in 1967 with Hello, I'm Dolly, which led to success during the remainder of the 1960s (both as a solo artist and with a series of duet albums with Porter Wagoner) before her sales and chart peak arrived during the 1970s and continued into the 1980s. Some of Parton's albums in the 1990s did not sell as well. However, she achieved commercial success again in the new millennium and has released albums on various independent labels since 2000, including Dolly Records. With a career spanning 60 years, Parton has been described as a "country legend" and has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Parton's music includes the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)-certified gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards. She has had 25 singles reach No. 1 on the Billboard country music charts, a record for a female artist (tied with Reba McEntire). She has 44 career Top 10 country albums, a record for any artist, and 110 career-charted singles over the past 40 years. She has composed over 3,000 songs, including "I Will Always Love You" (a two-time U.S. country chart-topper and an international hit for Whitney Houston), "Jolene", "Coat of Many Colors", and "9 to 5". As an actress, she has starred in the films 9 to 5 in 1980 and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas in 1982 (for each of which she earned Best Actress Golden Globe nominations) as well as Rhinestone in 1984, Steel Magnolias in 1989, Straight Talk in 1992, and Joyful Noise in 2012. Parton has received various accolades, including 11 Grammy Awards from 50 nominations. She has won ten Country Music Association Awards, including Entertainer of the Year. She is one of seven female artists to win the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year Award. Parton has five Academy of Country Music Awards (including Entertainer of the Year), four People's Choice Awards, and three American Music Awards. She is also in a select group to have received at least one nomination from the Academy, Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Awards. In 1999, Parton was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2005, she received the National Medal of Arts. In 2022, she was nominated for and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a nomination she had initially declined but ultimately accepted. Outside of her work in the music industry, she also co-owns The Dollywood Company, which manages several entertainment venues, including the Dollywood theme park, the Splash Country water park, and many dinner theatre venues such as The Dolly Parton Stampede and Pirates Voyage. She has founded some charitable and philanthropic organizations, chief among them being the Dollywood Foundation, which manages several projects to bring education and poverty relief to East Tennessee, where she was raised.

Filmography

• 2026Bárbara Tinoco - A Curta Vida de uma Popstar, Live at MEO Arena — Songs
• 2024Dolly Parton's Pet Gala — Executive Producer
• 2023Dolly Parton Rockstar Global First Listen Event — Music
• 2023ET Vault Unlocked: Dolly Parton
• 2022Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas — Self, Executive Producer
• 2020A Holly Dolly Christmas — Self - Host / Performer, Executive Producer
• 2020Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square — Angel, Executive Producer, Musical, Lyricist
• 2019Amber & Dolly: 9 to 5 — Dolly Parton
• 2019Christmas at Dollywood — Dolly Parton
• Dolly Parton's Heartstrings — Self, Original Music Composer, Executive Producer
• 2019Dolly Parton: 50 Years At The Opry — Self, Executive Producer
• 2018Dumplin' — Songs
• The Orville — Dolly Parton
• 2016Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love — The Painted Lady, Executive Producer
• 2015Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors — Self - Narrator, Executive Producer
• Grace and Frankie — Agnes
• Lily's Driftwood Bay — Noleen (voice)
• 2013A Country Christmas Story — Dolly Parton
• 2013Inequality for All — Doralee Rhodes (archive footage)
• 2012Joyful Noise — G.G. Sparrow
• 2011Gnomeo & Juliet — Dolly Gnome (voice)
• 2011The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom — Dolly Parton (voice)
• 20099 to 5: The Musical — Lyricist, Musical
• 2009Dolly: Live from London — Self, Executive Producer
• Hannah Montana — Aunt Dolly
• 2005Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous — Dolly Parton
• 2005Transamerica — Songs
• 2004AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs: America's Greatest Music in the Movies — Doralee Rhodes
• 2002Frank McKlusky, C.I. — Edith McKlusky
• 2002The Ultimate Collection Starring Johnny Carson - The Best of the 60s and 70s
• Reba — Dolly Majors
• 1999Blue Valley Songbird — Leanna Taylor, Executive Producer
• 1999Dolly Partons Precious Memories
• 1999Jackie's Back! — Dolly Parton
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer — Executive Producer
• 1997Get to the Heart: The Barbara Mandrell Story — Dolly Parton
• TFI Friday
• 1996Unlikely Angel — Ruby Diamond, Executive Producer, Songs
• 1995Big Dreams & Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story — Dolly Parton
• 1995Naomi & Wynonna: Love Can Build a Bridge — Dolly Parton
• The Magic School Bus — Katrina Eloise 'Murph' Murphy (voice)
• 1993The Beverly Hillbillies — Dolly Parton
• 1992Straight Talk — Shirlee Kenyon, Music, Songs
• 1991Wild Texas Wind — Thiola Rayfield, Executive Producer, Music Supervisor, Vocals, Writer
• 1990Dolly Parton... Christmas at Home — Self, Executive Producer, Music Supervisor
• 1989Steel Magnolias — Truvy Jones
• The Simpsons — Dolly Parton (voice)
• 1987A Down Home Country Christmas — Self, Production Supervisor, Music, Songs
• Dolly — Self - Host, Creator
• 1986A Smoky Mountain Christmas — Lorna Davis, Story, Songs
• Designing Women — Dolly Parton, Guardian Movie Star
• 1984Rhinestone — Jake Ferris, Music Supervisor, Original Music Composer
• Alvin and the Chipmunks — Dolly Parton (voice)
• 1982The Best Little Special In Texas
• 1982The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas — Mona Stangley, Songs
• 1981Lily: Sold Out — Dolly Parton
• 1980Nine to Five — Doralee Rhodes, Theme Song Performance
• The South Bank Show
• Run, Rose, Run — Producer

Appearances as themselves (156)

• 2026Back to the Beginning: Ozzy's Final Bow — Self
• 2026Dolly Parton – An American Icon — Self (archive footage)
• 2026Dolly Parton: An American Original – Special Edition of 20/20 — Self (archive footage)
• 2026Dolly: An NBC News Special — Self (archive footage)
• 2026Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special — Self / Aunt Dolly (archive footage)
• 2026Remembering Dolly: A Rhinestone Life — Self (archive footage)
• TFI Unplugged — Self (Archive Footage)
• 2025Dolly Parton : L'Amérique réconciliée — Self (archive footage)
• 2025Iconic Women of Country — Self
• 2025Ringo & Friends at the Ryman — Self
• 202460 Songs: BBC Two at 60 — Self (archive footage)
• 2024Dolly Parton: Still Rockin' — Self
• Dolly for President — Self (archive footage)
• Hits That Missed at the BBC — Self (archive footage)
• 2024Jimmy Fallon's Holiday Seasoning Spectacular — Self
• 2024Linda Perry: Let It Die Here — Self
• 2023Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love — Self - Guest
• 2023Christmas at Graceland — Self
• 2023Clear Day Thunder: Rescuing the American Chestnut — Self
• 2023Dolly Parton - From Rhinestones to Rock & Roll — Self
• 2023June — Self
• 2023Movie Themes at the BBC — Self
• 2023Reportin’ for Duty: A Tribute to Leslie Jordan — Self
• 20222022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony — Self - Inductee
• 2022Coal Miner's Daughter: A Celebration of the Life and Music of Loretta Lynn — Self
• 2022Dolly Parton at the BBC — Self
• 2022Miley's New Year's Eve Party — Self
• 2022Music Is My Life: Joseph Shabalala and Ladysmith Black Mambazo — Self
• Sherri — Self - Guest
• 2022Still Working 9 to 5 — Self
• Call Me Kat — Self - Guest Star (In Memoriam of Leslie Jordan)
• 2021Country Legends: Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner & Friends — Self (archive footage)
• 2021Dolly Parton: A MusiCares Tribute — Self
• 2021Kenny Rogers: All in for the Gambler — Self
• 2021Latin Grammy Celebrates: Them and Their Music — Self - Performer
• 2021Leftover Feelings: A Studio B Revival — Self
• 2020Biography: Kenny Rogers — Self
• 2020Dolly Parton: I Will Always Love You — Self (archive footage)
• 2020The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart — Self (archive footage)
• 2020The Library That Dolly Built — Self
• The Oprah Conversation — Self
• 2019Charley Pride: I'm Just Me — Self
• 2019Dolly Parton: Here I Am — Self
• 2019Harlem to Hollywood — Self
• 2019Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice — Self
• The Kelly Clarkson Show — Self
• 2018Dolly & Friends: The Making of a Soundtrack — Self
• Shine On with Reese — Self
• 2017All In For The Gambler: Kenny Rogers Farewell Concert Celebration — Self
• 2017Born in Bristol: The Untold Story of the Birth of Country Music — Self
• The True Story of... — Self (archive footage)
• 2017The Year in Memoriam — Self
• 2016A Pentatonix Christmas Special — Self - Special Appearance
• 2016Sisters in Country: Dolly, Linda and Emmylou — Self
• 2015Dolly Parton: Queen of Country — Self (archive footage)
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — Self - Guest
• 2014America's Sweethearts: Queens Of Nashville — Self (archive footage)
• 2014Country Queens at the BBC — Self (archive footage)
• Good Morning Britain — Self
• Late Night with Seth Meyers — Self - Guest
• 2014The Heart of Country: How Nashville Became Music City USA — Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon — Self, Self - Guest
• 2013Shakespeare Was a Big George Jones Fan: 'Cowboy' Jack Clement's Home Movies — Self
• Song by Song — Self
• Steve Harvey — Self
• 2011Country at the BBC — Self (archive footage)
• 2011Hollywood to Dollywood — Self
• Why Not? with Shania Twain — Self (archive footage)
• The Talk — Self
• Backstory — Self
• 2009Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special — Self
• 2009Dolly Parton & Friends: Love Always Live — Self - Performer (archive footage)
• 2009Dr. Robert F. Thomas - The Great Smoky Mountain Horseback Healer of Body and Soul — Herself
• RuPaul's Drag Race — Self - Special Guest
• The Jay Leno Show — Self
• 2009The World According to Miley Cyrus — Self
• Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen — Self - Guest
• 19 Kids and Counting — Self
• 2008The Book Lady — Self
• 2007Countdown - The Wonder Years 2 — Self (archive footage)
• 2007Opry Video Classics : Legends — Self (archive footage)
• 2007Opry Video Classics: Duets — Self (archive footage)
• 2007Opry Video Classics: Hall of Fame — Self (archive footage)
• 2007Opry Video Classics: Queens of Country — Self (archive footage)
• The Graham Norton Show — Self - Guest
• 2007The Midnight Special Legendary Performances: More 1980 — Self
• The Howard Stern Interview — Self
• CMT: Inside Fame — Self
• Naomi's New Morning — Self
• The Colbert Report — Self - Guest
• 2005Tootsie's Orchid Lounge: Where the Music Began — self
• CMA Music Festival — Self
• 2004Dolly Parton: Live & Well — Self
• Miley's New Year's Eve Party — Self - Co-host, Self - Host
• 2004Norah Jones and The Handsome Band: Live in 2004 — Self - Special Guest
• On Air with Ryan Seacrest — Self
• 2004The Best of So Graham Norton — Self (archive footage)
• The Paul O'Grady Show — Self - Guest
• The Tony Danza Show — Self - Guest
• Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Self - "Mean Tweets"
• The Ellen DeGeneres Show — Self
• The Terry and Gaby Show — Self - Guest
• VH1: All Access — Self
• American Idol — Self - Guest / Mentor, Self - Guest Performer
• CMT Crossroads — Self
• CMT Music Awards — Self - Host
• 2001Graham Goes to Dollywood — Self
• 2000Chet Atkins: A Life in Music — Self
• The Early Show — Self
• Parkinson — Self
• The View — Self
• 1996Dolly Parton: Treasures — Self
• 1996Dollywood: A Memory Worth Repeating — Self
• E! True Hollywood Story — Self
• The Daily Show — Self
• 1995Heartsong — Self
• The Frank Skinner Show — Self
• Extra — Self - Guest
• 1993Bill Monroe: Father of Bluegrass Music — Self
• Intimate Portrait — Self
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien — Self - Guest
• Late Show with David Letterman — Self - Guest, Self - Top Ten Presenter, Self - Musical Guest
• 1993The Women of Country — Self (archive footage)
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno — Self - Guest
• Burt Reynolds' Conversations with... — Self
• 1989Kenny, Dolly & Willie: Something Inside So Strong — Self
• 1988Bob Hope's Jolly Christmas Show — Self
• 1986Walt Disney World 15th Anniversary — Self
• 1985Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers - Real Love — Self
• 1984Kenny & Dolly: A Christmas to Remember — Self
• 1983Dolly in Concert — Self
• Champs-Elysées — Self, Self (Vidéoclip) (archive footage)
• Late Night with David Letterman — Self - Guest
• Wogan — Self
• 1981All-Star Party for Burt Reynolds — Self
• De TV Show — Self
• Entertainment Tonight — Self
• Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters — Self
• CBS News Sunday Morning — Self
• 1979Dolly and Carol in Nashville — Self / Trudy
• 1979The Midnight Special Legendary Performances 1979 — Self
• 197850 Years of Country Music — Self - Hostess
• 1978Cher... Special — Self
• The Kennedy Center Honors — Self
• Dolly! — Self - Hostess
• Saturday Night Live — Self - Host & Musical Guest
• Musikladen — Self
• 1969An Old Time Country Christmas — Self
• 60 Minutes — Self
• CMA Awards — Self
• Academy of Country Music Awards — Self - Presenter
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self
• The Mike Douglas Show — Self - Co-Host, Self - Co-Hostess
• The Porter Wagoner Show — Self
• The Grammys — Self
• The Oscars — Self