Dolly Parton Part 1

The Reference Desk

In this episode, we are bewitched by Dolly Parton.
Dolly Parton came from very humble beginnings but turned herself into a star. In this first part of a two-part series, we cover Dolly's childhood, spent in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Though Dolly's family lived in poverty, they never lacked love, and her early life remains a source of inspiration for her music. After teaching herself how to play guitar and compose music, Dolly earned a spot singing on a local radio show and was featured on the Grand Ole Opry.
After becoming the first person in her family to finish high school, Dolly moved to Nashville to launch her career. While Dolly found work as a songwriter, she struggled to make a name for herself as a recording artist. That all changed when she was offered a job on the biggest country music stage of all: The Porter Wagoner Show.
All books shared in this episode can be purchased at our Bookshop!
Staff picks:
Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay
The Bellwoods Game by Celia Krampien
Uncultured: A Memoir by Danielle Mestyanek Young
Sources:
Songteller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton with Robert K. Oermann
Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones by Dolly Parton with Holly George-Warren, curated by Rebecca Seaver
Dolly's Parton's America [podcast] from WNYC Studios, Jad Abumrad, and Shima Oliaee

Support the show