Dolly Parton

Looking for Dolly Parton chords? You will find them all here! The American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton was born in 1946 in rural Tennessee. Being the fourth of twelve children, she was raised in a poor church-going family. For young Dolly music became a distraction from the hardship of poverty characterizing her childhood. She sang in church, and on a homemade guitar she learned to play her first chords. Dolly Parton was given a real guitar by an uncle when she was eight years old, and just three years later she already made her first appearances on local radio and television. Aged 13, she performed at the Grand Ole Opry — a weekly country show on national radio — where she first met Johnny Cash, who encouraged her to follow her instincts regarding her music career. Following his advice, Dolly Parton left for Nashville the day after she finished high school, which she knew was the place to be for young aspiring country musicians.

Country star

Dolly Parton initially found success as a songwriter for other artists, writing several singles which reached the charts, including two top 10 hits. Aged 19, she signed with Monument Records, where they marketed her as a bubblegum pop artist. Parton resented this and after multiple unsuccessful singles was finally given permission by the label to record country music. Promptly, she scored two hits: “Dumb Blonde” and “Something Fishy.” Both songs were to be included on her 1967 debut album, Hello, I’m Dolly. The breakthrough opened doors for Parton, and country star Porter Wagoner offered her a regular spot on his weekly television show. She took up on the offer and also signed with RCA Victor, a record label which had Wagoner on the payroll as well. From the late 1960s to the mid-1970s, they would release a host of successful duets. Notwithstanding, Parton craved a solo career as well, yet her singles initially failed to storm the charts. With the dawn of the 1970s, this all changed though, and with “Joshua” she got her first single that topped the country charts, in early 1971. Multiple hits followed, the biggest of them being “Jolene,” released in 1973. One of her best-known tracks, the song was revived decades later by her goddaughter Miley Cyrus. Eager to learn which chords Dolly Parton used on this famous track? You will find them below! A year later, in 1974, she had another smash hit with “I Will Always Love You,” which would also receive a second life as Whitney Houston covered it in the early 1990s and scored a major pop hit with the song.

Household name

Already being a huge star in the country scene, Dolly Parton wanted to break into a more mainstream audience and, starting in the latter half of the 1970s, she released several pop-crossover albums. It proved to be a successful move and she became a household name, appearing on multiple television shows and even starring in the 1980 film “9 to 5,” which saw her being nominated for a Golden Globe Award. Seen as a cultural icon, she would keep releasing new (and old) music well into the 21st century. Being nominated 49 times, Dolly Parton won 10 Grammy awards, among a host of other trophies. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999.