{"id":2112336,"date":"2026-08-25T19:34:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T16:34:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2112336"},"modified":"2026-08-25T19:34:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T16:34:02","slug":"dolly-parton-1946-2026-the-queen-of-country-was-a-unifying-force-in-a-divided-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2112336","title":{"rendered":"Dolly Parton, 1946-2026: the Queen of Country was a unifying force in a divided world"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/dolly-parton-obituary-credit-Jason-KempinGetty-Images.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"template-id-2947849\" class=\"post-2947849 tdb_templates type-tdb_templates status-publish post\">\n<div id=\"tdi_65\" class=\"tdc-zone\">\n<div class=\"tdc_zone tdi_66  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div id=\"tdi_67\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_68  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_70  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_breadcrumbs tdi_71 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-breadcrumbs \" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_71\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span>Features<\/span><span>Music Features<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_title tdi_72 tdb-single-title td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_72\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Dolly Parton, 1946-2026: the Queen of Country was a unifying force in a divided world<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_73 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_73\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>The universally loved singer-songwriter, who was always the most glamorous person in the room, will be remembered for her genius and generosity<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_75 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_75\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> Jordan Bassett<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_76 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_76\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2026-08-25T20:34:02+01:00\">25th August 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_77\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_78  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_80  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_81 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_81\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"696\" height=\"442\" class=\"entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/dolly-parton-obituary-credit-Jason-KempinGetty-Images-696x442.jpg\" alt=\"Dolly Parton\" title=\"Dolly Parton&apos;s Threads: My Songs In Symphony World Premiere\"><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">Dolly Parton in 2025. Credit: Jason Kempin\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_82\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_83  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_85  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>In 2014, Dolly Parton drew one of the biggest crowds in Glastonbury\u2019s history when she graced the Pyramid Stage for the festival\u2019s coveted Legends slot. An estimated 180,000 punters gathered to watch the Queen of Country strut her stuff, her rhinestone-encrusted suit glistening as she rattled off a rap about the mud on Worthy Farm: \u201cWe won\u2019t let it ruin our high.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>READ MORE:\u00a0The Big Read \u2013\u00a0Dolly Parton: \u201cI take care of business\u201d<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>She even parped away on a saxophone (also covered in rhinestones), playing the novelty instrumental \u2018Yakety Sax\u2019 (AKA the theme to <em>The Benny Hill Show<\/em>). In fact, she played it twice: once forwards, once \u201cbackwards\u201d \u2013 as in, with her back to the crowd. \u201cI know it was corny, but it was fun,\u201d she joked afterwards.<\/p>\n<p>Corny but fun, triumphant in the face of adversity and wearing her undoubted genius with a lightness of touch, this was Dolly Parton all over. The performance introduced the star, who has died at the age of 80, to a whole new generation, proving her long-held talent for unifying audiences. Go to a Dolly Parton gig, and you would meet folks \u2013 as she\u2019d likely call them in her downhome Southern patter \u2013 from all walks of life.<\/p>\n<p>A cheerful contradiction in terms, she retained the values of her dirt-poor background but was always the most glamorous person in the room. Here was a salt-of-the-earth gal who was worth an estimated $650million, had won 11 Grammys (including the Lifetime Achievement Award), sold more than 100million records, released 49 solo albums and donated 100million books to children around the world through her Imagination Library charity. The world\u2019s first cloned mammal, a sheep, was famously named after her and, in 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Parton donated $1milllion to the development of the Moderna Covid vaccine.<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Dolly Parton performs Jolene at Glastonbury - BBC\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nwBNBcFAFso?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<p>In interviews, she was unfailingly positive and charismatic, managing the tricky tightrope walk of appeasing all corners of her fanbase by remaining apolitical. Instead, she expressed sincere beliefs about fairness, kindness and respect for all. When she appeared on the cover of <em>NME<\/em> in 2019, journalist Leonie Cooper asked Parton if anything ever made her angry. \u201cOh, of course!\u201d she replied, explaining that lateness and complacency got her goat: \u201cI don\u2019t remember the last time I shouted. I get more pissed off. I take care of business however I need to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dolly Rebecca Parton was born in January 1946 to a family who shared a two-room log cabin in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, a town nestled in the Great Smoky Mountains. \u201cI grew up on a farm in a family of 12 children,\u201d she told the <em>BBC<\/em> in 1978. \u201cWe made our living from the land. That goes back to the fact that we got our strength from that religious background and the fact that we knew how to survive with what we had\u2026 I\u2019m ambitious because I like to have nice things, but I managed to keep my childhood, my roots, sturdy and deep.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was a musical family \u2013 her mother, Avie, was a singer \u2013 and Dolly sang in church from the age of six, soon learning to play the guitar. She began performing on local TV and radio stations when she was just 10 years old and appeared on the legendary Grand Ole Opry at 13. In pursuit of stardom, she moved to Nashville the day after graduating from Sevier County High School in 1964.<\/p>\n<p>On her very first day in the big city, she met Carl Dean, an asphalt paver whom she would marry two years later. In her 1994 autobiography <em>My Life and Other Unfinished Business<\/em>, she portrayed a man whose simple pleasures in life were at odds with her own showbiz glamour: \u201cHe\u2019s a great mechanic who will work all day on a truck or tractor then come in and sew up the pocket on his old work shirt.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3964682\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3964682\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3964682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/dolly-parton-credit-David-RedfernRedferns.jpg\" alt=\"Dolly Parton\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3964682\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dolly Parton in 1976. Credit: David Redfern\/Redferns<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Carl remained a mysterious figure as Parton\u2019s career scaled unparalleled heights; no matter how famous she became, he always shunned the spotlight. She made her first big step to celebrity on <em>The Porter Wagoner Show<\/em>, whose titular star was so impressed that he signed her up to perform on the programme for five years (she stayed seven). Although Wagoner became her mentor and manager, the turbulent pair \u201cwere like oil and water\u201d, as she recalled on <em>The Martha Stewart Podcast<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Parton\u2019s first song to chart, \u2018Dumb Blonde\u2019, peaked at Number 24 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles list. \u201c<em>This dumb blonde<\/em>\u201d, she sang over a freewheeling country shuffle, \u201d<em>ain\u2019t nobody\u2019s fool<\/em>\u201d. So it proved: when she resolved to part ways with Wagoner, she wrote a song about her feelings. 1974\u2019s staggeringly beautiful \u2018I Will Always Love You\u2019 topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs, just like her previous single, the immortal \u2018Jolene\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>As she rose to greater stardom in the country world (she was crowned The Country Music Association\u2019s Female Vocalist of the Year in 1975 and 1976), her creativity was matched by a steely business sense: Parton controlled her own publishing rights almost from the start. She reluctantly refused Elvis permission to cover \u2018I Will Always Love You\u2019 because his controversial manager, Colonel Tom Parker, demanded she relinquish half of the publishing, an instinct that paid off when Whitney Houston\u2019s version of the song topped the Billboard chart for 14 weeks, and Parton reaped the rewards.<\/p>\n<p>She understood the appeal of her aspirational approach to country even as the alternative likes of Emmylou Harris emerged in the mid-1970s. \u201cI love the glitter and the rhinestones and all of that,\u201d she told <em>NME<\/em>\u2019s Mick Farren in 1976. \u201cThe new underground people in country music, they wear the patches, the faded denim. I wore that when I was a kid. I had nothing else then.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3964683\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3964683\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3964683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/dolly-parton-credit-Tabatha-FiremanRedferns-via-Getty-Images.jpg\" alt=\"Dolly Parton\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3964683\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dolly Parton at Glastonbury 2014. Credit: Tabatha Fireman\/Redferns via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Nevertheless, Parton crossed over to the pop charts with 1977\u2019s \u2018Here You Come Again\u2019, a keening country pop ballad penned by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. She smashed Hollywood with her role in the 1980 comedy <em>9 to 5<\/em>, a vehicle for her classic pop song of the same name (or was it the other way around?), which appeared on its soundtrack.<\/p>\n<p>There were further movies (she won a Golden Globe Best Actress nod for 1982\u2019s <em>The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas<\/em>) and a clutch of hit singles (her Kenny Rogers duet \u2018Islands In The Stream\u2019 is a karaoke classic). In 1984, she was diagnosed with endometriosis and underwent a partial hysterectomy that meant she would never realise her dream of motherhood. Devastated, Parton vowed to pour her energy into philanthropic endeavours. One of the many results was Dollywood, her theme park in Pigeon Forge, which boosted the local economy.<\/p>\n<p>Her last studio album, 2023\u2019s \u2018Rockstar\u2019, her first-ever rock album, showed that Dolly\u2019s fun-loving spirit remained undimmed as she reached her late seventies. The following year, heartbroken, she announced Carl\u2019s death at the age of 82 and eulogised him with \u2018If You Hadn\u2019t Been There\u2019, a gorgeous ballad on which she asked: \u201c<em>If you hadn\u2019t been you \u2013 well, who would I be?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Last year, Parton was due to dazzle audiences once again, with a six-date residency at Las Vegas\u2019 Caesars Palace. As she suffered some \u201chealth challenges\u201d in late 2025, she announced the run would be postponed to September 2026, but in May scrapped the plans altogether. She would make one final major appearance on stage prior to her death, sharing an update on her health and life after Carl during a keynote speech at Dollywood\u2019s 41st anniversary celebrations. \u201cI just kind of got worn down and worn out, grieving over Carl and a lot of other little things going on,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>As we all reel from Dolly Parton\u2019s death, that glorious 2014 Glastonbury set may prove a balm. Introducing \u2018Coat of Many Colors\u2019, her 1971 country hit about a patchwork coat sewn by her mother, this humble \u201cfarmer\u2019s daughter\u201d paid tribute to her family\u2019s love and resilience. Resplendent in her rhinestone suit, she embodied both qualities as a unifying icon. The world has become more divided since that set, but everyone will always love Dolly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_tags tdi_87 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_87\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<ul class=\"tdb-tags\">\n<li><span>Related Topics<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Country<\/li>\n<li>Dolly Parton<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_88\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_content td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_89  wpb_row td-pb-row tdc-element-style\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_91  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td-block td-a-rec td-a-rec-id-custom-spot tdi_92 td_block_template_2\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_93\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_94  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_96  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"vc_row_inner tdi_98  vc_row vc_inner wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column_inner tdi_100  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-inner-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_102 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>More Stories<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap td_flex_block_1 tdi_103 td-pb-border-top td_module_flex_1--card td_module_flex_1--card--highlight td_block_template_2 tdc-no-posts td_flex_block\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_103\">\n<div id=\"tdi_103\" class=\"td_block_inner td-mc1-wrap\">\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Donald Trump orders that flags be flown at half-mast across the US for a week in honour of Dolly Parton<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Eminem, Elton John and more pay tribute to Dolly Parton: \u201ca one of a kind, altruistic, down to earth, musical&#8230;<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Eminem shares touching letter he received from Dolly Parton: \u201cThank you for the kind words\u201d<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Watch Jack White pay tribute to Dolly Parton with rousing rendition of \u2018Jolene\u2019 live in London<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Dolly Parton\u2019s cause of death confirmed<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Fans and Emily Eavis remember Dolly Parton\u2019s \u201cbiggest ever\u201d Glastonbury 2014 legends slot performance<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_104\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_105  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_107  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_109 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>You May Also Like<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/article>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>In 2014, Dolly Parton drew one of the biggest crowds in Glastonbury\u2019s history when she graced the Pyramid Stage for the festival\u2019s coveted Legends slot. An estimated 180,000 punters gathered to watch the Queen of Country strut her stuff, her rhinestone-encrusted suit glistening as she rattled off a rap about the mud on Worthy Farm: \u201cWe won\u2019t let it ruin our high.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>READ MORE:\u00a0The Big Read \u2013\u00a0Dolly Parton: \u201cI take care of business\u201d<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>She even parped away on a saxophone (also covered in rhinestones), playing the novelty instrumental \u2018Yakety Sax\u2019 (AKA the theme to <em>The Benny Hill Show<\/em>). In fact, she played it twice: once forwards, once \u201cbackwards\u201d \u2013 as in, with her back to the crowd. \u201cI know it was corny, but it was fun,\u201d she joked afterwards.<\/p>\n<p>Corny but fun, triumphant in the face of adversity and wearing her undoubted genius with a lightness of touch, this was Dolly Parton all over. The performance introduced the star, who has died at the age of 80, to a whole new generation, proving her long-held talent for unifying audiences. Go to a Dolly Parton gig, and you would meet folks \u2013 as she\u2019d likely call them in her downhome Southern patter \u2013 from all walks of life.<\/p>\n<p>A cheerful contradiction in terms, she retained the values of her dirt-poor background but was always the most glamorous person in the room. Here was a salt-of-the-earth gal who was worth an estimated $650million, had won 11 Grammys (including the Lifetime Achievement Award), sold more than 100million records, released 49 solo albums and donated 100million books to children around the world through her Imagination Library charity. The world\u2019s first cloned mammal, a sheep, was famously named after her and, in 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Parton donated $1milllion to the development of the Moderna Covid vaccine.<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Dolly Parton performs Jolene at Glastonbury - BBC\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nwBNBcFAFso?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<p>In interviews, she was unfailingly positive and charismatic, managing the tricky tightrope walk of appeasing all corners of her fanbase by remaining apolitical. Instead, she expressed sincere beliefs about fairness, kindness and respect for all. When she appeared on the cover of <em>NME<\/em> in 2019, journalist Leonie Cooper asked Parton if anything ever made her angry. \u201cOh, of course!\u201d she replied, explaining that lateness and complacency got her goat: \u201cI don\u2019t remember the last time I shouted. I get more pissed off. I take care of business however I need to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dolly Rebecca Parton was born in January 1946 to a family who shared a two-room log cabin in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, a town nestled in the Great Smoky Mountains. \u201cI grew up on a farm in a family of 12 children,\u201d she told the <em>BBC<\/em> in 1978. \u201cWe made our living from the land. That goes back to the fact that we got our strength from that religious background and the fact that we knew how to survive with what we had\u2026 I\u2019m ambitious because I like to have nice things, but I managed to keep my childhood, my roots, sturdy and deep.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was a musical family \u2013 her mother, Avie, was a singer \u2013 and Dolly sang in church from the age of six, soon learning to play the guitar. She began performing on local TV and radio stations when she was just 10 years old and appeared on the legendary Grand Ole Opry at 13. In pursuit of stardom, she moved to Nashville the day after graduating from Sevier County High School in 1964.<\/p>\n<p>On her very first day in the big city, she met Carl Dean, an asphalt paver whom she would marry two years later. In her 1994 autobiography <em>My Life and Other Unfinished Business<\/em>, she portrayed a man whose simple pleasures in life were at odds with her own showbiz glamour: \u201cHe\u2019s a great mechanic who will work all day on a truck or tractor then come in and sew up the pocket on his old work shirt.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3964682\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3964682\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3964682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/dolly-parton-credit-David-RedfernRedferns.jpg\" alt=\"Dolly Parton\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3964682\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dolly Parton in 1976. Credit: David Redfern\/Redferns<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Carl remained a mysterious figure as Parton\u2019s career scaled unparalleled heights; no matter how famous she became, he always shunned the spotlight. She made her first big step to celebrity on <em>The Porter Wagoner Show<\/em>, whose titular star was so impressed that he signed her up to perform on the programme for five years (she stayed seven). Although Wagoner became her mentor and manager, the turbulent pair \u201cwere like oil and water\u201d, as she recalled on <em>The Martha Stewart Podcast<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Parton\u2019s first song to chart, \u2018Dumb Blonde\u2019, peaked at Number 24 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles list. \u201c<em>This dumb blonde<\/em>\u201d, she sang over a freewheeling country shuffle, \u201d<em>ain\u2019t nobody\u2019s fool<\/em>\u201d. So it proved: when she resolved to part ways with Wagoner, she wrote a song about her feelings. 1974\u2019s staggeringly beautiful \u2018I Will Always Love You\u2019 topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs, just like her previous single, the immortal \u2018Jolene\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>As she rose to greater stardom in the country world (she was crowned The Country Music Association\u2019s Female Vocalist of the Year in 1975 and 1976), her creativity was matched by a steely business sense: Parton controlled her own publishing rights almost from the start. She reluctantly refused Elvis permission to cover \u2018I Will Always Love You\u2019 because his controversial manager, Colonel Tom Parker, demanded she relinquish half of the publishing, an instinct that paid off when Whitney Houston\u2019s version of the song topped the Billboard chart for 14 weeks, and Parton reaped the rewards.<\/p>\n<p>She understood the appeal of her aspirational approach to country even as the alternative likes of Emmylou Harris emerged in the mid-1970s. \u201cI love the glitter and the rhinestones and all of that,\u201d she told <em>NME<\/em>\u2019s Mick Farren in 1976. \u201cThe new underground people in country music, they wear the patches, the faded denim. I wore that when I was a kid. I had nothing else then.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3964683\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3964683\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3964683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/dolly-parton-credit-Tabatha-FiremanRedferns-via-Getty-Images.jpg\" alt=\"Dolly Parton\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3964683\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dolly Parton at Glastonbury 2014. Credit: Tabatha Fireman\/Redferns via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Nevertheless, Parton crossed over to the pop charts with 1977\u2019s \u2018Here You Come Again\u2019, a keening country pop ballad penned by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. She smashed Hollywood with her role in the 1980 comedy <em>9 to 5<\/em>, a vehicle for her classic pop song of the same name (or was it the other way around?), which appeared on its soundtrack.<\/p>\n<p>There were further movies (she won a Golden Globe Best Actress nod for 1982\u2019s <em>The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas<\/em>) and a clutch of hit singles (her Kenny Rogers duet \u2018Islands In The Stream\u2019 is a karaoke classic). In 1984, she was diagnosed with endometriosis and underwent a partial hysterectomy that meant she would never realise her dream of motherhood. Devastated, Parton vowed to pour her energy into philanthropic endeavours. One of the many results was Dollywood, her theme park in Pigeon Forge, which boosted the local economy.<\/p>\n<p>Her last studio album, 2023\u2019s \u2018Rockstar\u2019, her first-ever rock album, showed that Dolly\u2019s fun-loving spirit remained undimmed as she reached her late seventies. The following year, heartbroken, she announced Carl\u2019s death at the age of 82 and eulogised him with \u2018If You Hadn\u2019t Been There\u2019, a gorgeous ballad on which she asked: \u201c<em>If you hadn\u2019t been you \u2013 well, who would I be?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Last year, Parton was due to dazzle audiences once again, with a six-date residency at Las Vegas\u2019 Caesars Palace. As she suffered some \u201chealth challenges\u201d in late 2025, she announced the run would be postponed to September 2026, but in May scrapped the plans altogether. She would make one final major appearance on stage prior to her death, sharing an update on her health and life after Carl during a keynote speech at Dollywood\u2019s 41st anniversary celebrations. \u201cI just kind of got worn down and worn out, grieving over Carl and a lot of other little things going on,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>As we all reel from Dolly Parton\u2019s death, that glorious 2014 Glastonbury set may prove a balm. Introducing \u2018Coat of Many Colors\u2019, her 1971 country hit about a patchwork coat sewn by her mother, this humble \u201cfarmer\u2019s daughter\u201d paid tribute to her family\u2019s love and resilience. Resplendent in her rhinestone suit, she embodied both qualities as a unifying icon. The world has become more divided since that set, but everyone will always love Dolly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/features\/music-features\/dolly-parton-obituary-queen-of-country-tribute-3964673&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/dolly-parton-obituary-credit-Jason-KempinGetty-Images.jpg&#8221;] FeaturesMusic Features Dolly Parton, 1946-2026: the Queen of Country was a unifying force in a divided world The universally loved singer-songwriter, who was always the most glamorous person in the room, will be remembered for her genius and generosity By Jordan Bassett 25th August 2026 Dolly Parton in 2025. Credit: Jason Kempin\/Getty [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,78],"class_list":["post-2112336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nme-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2112336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2112336"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2112336\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2112336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2112336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2112336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}