Career Timeline of Dolly Parton: Major Achievements and Milestones
How Dolly Parton built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Dolly Parton is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, most prominently known for her contributions to country music. Her career began in 1967 with her debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly. Spanning six decades, she has released 49 studio albums. Notably, her 2023 album, Rockstar, achieved significant success, peaking at number three on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming her highest-charting album to date.
1964: Moved to Nashville
In 1964, Dolly Parton moved to Nashville the day after graduating from Sevier County High School.
1965: Signed with Monument Records
In 1965, at the age of 19, Dolly Parton signed with Monument Records, where she was initially pitched as a bubblegum pop singer.
1966: Put It Off Until Tomorrow Success
In 1966, "Put It Off Until Tomorrow", as recorded by Bill Phillips (with Parton, uncredited, on harmony), went to number six on the country chart, after which the label relented and allowed her to record country.
1966: Charting Singles
In 1966, Dolly Parton, with her frequent songwriting partner, her uncle Bill Owens, wrote several charting singles, including two Top 10 hits for Bill Phillips: "Put It Off Until Tomorrow," and "The Company You Keep".
1967: Fuel to the Flame Hit
In 1967, Dolly Parton co-wrote Skeeter Davis's number 11 hit "Fuel to the Flame" with her uncle Bill Owens.
1967: Debut Album Release
In 1967, Dolly Parton released her debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly, marking the beginning of her professional music career.
1967: Joined The Porter Wagoner Show
In 1967, Dolly Parton was invited by Porter Wagoner to join his organization, gaining a regular spot on his weekly syndicated television program, "The Porter Wagoner Show", and in his road show.
1967: First Country Single
In 1967, Dolly Parton's first country single, "Dumb Blonde", reached number 24 on the country chart, followed by "Something Fishy", which went to number 17.
January 1968: The Last Thing on My Mind Duet Success
In January 1968, Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner's remake of Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing on My Mind" reached the country Top 10, marking the beginning of a six-year run of Top 10 singles for the pair.
1968: First Solo Single for RCA Victor
In the summer of 1968, Dolly Parton's first solo single for RCA Victor, "Just Because I'm a Woman", was released and reached number 17 on the charts.
1969: Wagoner's Financial Stake
In 1969, Porter Wagoner had a significant financial stake in Dolly Parton's future, acting as her co-producer and owning nearly half of Owe-Par, the publishing company Parton founded with Bill Owens.
1970: Mule Skinner Blues Recording
In 1970, Porter Wagoner persuaded Dolly Parton to record Jimmie Rodgers' "Mule Skinner Blues", leading to increased solo chart success.
February 1971: First Number-One Single
In February 1971, Dolly Parton had her first number-one single, "Joshua".
1972: Touch Your Woman Release
In 1972, Dolly Parton released "Touch Your Woman", which became a Top 20 single.
1973: My Tennessee Mountain Home and Travelin' Man Release
In 1973, Dolly Parton released "My Tennessee Mountain Home" and "Travelin' Man", which became Top 20 singles.
1973: Jolene Release
In late 1973, Dolly Parton released the song "Jolene".
February 1974: Jolene topped country charts
In February 1974, Dolly Parton's song "Jolene" topped the country chart.
April 1974: Last Duet Concert with Wagoner
In April 1974, Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner performed their last duet concert, and she stopped appearing on his TV show in mid-1974.
1974: Country Hits Series Begins
Between 1974 and 1980, Dolly Parton had a series of country hits, with eight singles reaching number one.
1974: I Will Always Love You Tops Chart
In 1974, Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You", written about her professional break from Wagoner, went to number one on the country chart. She also had three solo singles reach number one on the country chart in 1974 ("Jolene", "I Will Always Love You" and "Love Is Like a Butterfly").
1975: Say Forever You'll Be Mine Release
In 1975, Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner released their final duet album, Say Forever You'll Be Mine.
1975: The Bargain Store Tops Chart
In 1975, Dolly Parton's single "The Bargain Store" topped the singles chart.
1975: Linda Ronstadt covered I will Always Love You
In 1975, Linda Ronstadt covered "I Will Always Love You" on Prisoner In Disguise.
1976: Began Working with Sandy Gallin
In 1976, Dolly Parton began working closely with Sandy Gallin, who served as her personal manager for the next 25 years. She also began taking more of an active role in production, and began specifically aiming her music in a more mainstream, pop direction with her album All I Can Do.
1976: Jolene Charts in the U.K.
In 1976, Dolly Parton's song "Jolene" charted in the U.K., reaching number seven.
1977: Barbara Walters Special Interview
In 1977, Dolly Parton gave a highly publicized candid interview on a Barbara Walters Special, timed to coincide with the release of Here You Come Again.
1977: Here You Come Again Album
In 1977, Dolly Parton's album Here You Come Again became her first million-seller, topping the country album chart and reaching number 20 on the pop chart. The title track also topped the country singles chart.
1977: New Harvest...First Gathering Release
In 1977, Dolly Parton's first entirely self-produced effort, New Harvest...First Gathering, was released, highlighting her pop sensibilities. The album contained covers of the pop and R&B classics "My Girl" and "Higher and Higher".
October 1978: Playboy Cover Appearance
In October 1978, Dolly Parton appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine wearing a Playboy bunny outfit, accompanied by a candid interview.
1978: Appearance on Cher's ABC Television Special
In 1978, Dolly Parton made an appearance on Cher's ABC television special.
1979: Hits with Heartbreaker, Baby I'm Burning, and You're the Only One
In 1979, Dolly Parton had hits with "Heartbreaker", "Baby I'm Burning", and "You're the Only One", all of which charted in the pop Top 40 and topped the country chart.
1980: End of Country Hits Series
Between 1974 and 1980, Dolly Parton had a series of country hits, with eight singles reaching number one.
1980: Inspiration for "9 to 5" Beat
In 1980, Dolly Parton derived the beat for her song "9 to 5" from clacking her fingernails together while backstage on the set of the film 9 to 5.
1980: Starred in 9 to 5
In 1980, Dolly Parton starred in the film 9 to 5, for which she earned a Best Actress Golden Globe nomination.
1982: Release of I Will Always Love You for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
In 1982, Dolly Parton recorded a second version of "I Will Always Love You" for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, which became a number one country hit.
1982: Starred in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
In 1982, Dolly Parton starred in the film The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and she earned a Best Actress Golden Globe nomination for it.
1984: Starred in Rhinestone
In 1984, Dolly Parton starred in the film Rhinestone.
1989: Starred in Steel Magnolias
In 1989, Dolly Parton starred in the film Steel Magnolias.
1992: Starred in Straight Talk
In 1992, Dolly Parton starred in the film Straight Talk.
1994: Autobiography Published
In 1994, Dolly Parton documented her experiences, including initial audience resistance when she replaced Norma Jean on "The Porter Wagoner Show", in her autobiography.
1996: Kenny Rogers covered I will Always Love You
In 1996, Kenny Rogers covered "I Will Always Love You" on Vote for Love.
1997: LeAnn Rimes covered I will Always Love You
In 1997, LeAnn Rimes covered "I Will Always Love You" on Unchained Melody: The Early Years.
1998: Ranked Wealthiest Country Music Star
In 1998, Nashville Business ranked Dolly Parton as the wealthiest country music star.
2001: Induction into Songwriters Hall of Fame
In 2001, Dolly Parton was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, recognizing her significant contributions to music.
November 4, 2003: Honored as a BMI Icon
On November 4, 2003, Dolly Parton was honored as a BMI Icon at the 2003 BMI Country Awards for her prolific songwriting.
2003: Appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show
In 2003, Dolly Parton appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, discussing her cosmetic surgery and her famous image.
October 2005: Composing Songs for 9 to 5: The Musical
In October 2005, Dolly Parton was in the midst of composing songs for a Broadway musical theater adaptation of the film 9 to 5.
October 29, 2005: Composing Songs for 9 to 5: The Musical
According to the public-radio program Studio 360, in October 2005 Dolly Parton was in the midst of composing songs for a Broadway musical theater adaptation of the film 9 to 5.
2005: Academy Award Nomination and Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for "Travelin' Thru"
In 2005, Dolly Parton's song "Travelin' Thru" from the film Transamerica was nominated for an Academy Award and won Best Original Song at the 2005 Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards.
June 2007: Industry Presentations of 9 to 5: The Musical
In late June 2007, 9 to 5: The Musical was read for industry presentations, starring Megan Hilty, Allison Janney, Stephanie J. Block, Bebe Neuwirth, and Marc Kudisch.
2008: Writing Backwoods Barbie for the Musical
In 2008, The title track of Dolly Parton's album Backwoods Barbie was written for the 9 to 5 musical's character Doralee.
April 30, 2009: Broadway Opening of 9 to 5: The Musical
On April 30, 2009, Dolly Parton's musical 9 to 5: The Musical opened on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre in New York.
September 6, 2009: Closing of 9 to 5: The Musical on Broadway
On September 6, 2009, Dolly Parton's musical 9 to 5: The Musical closed on Broadway after 148 performances.
2009: Interview on Larry King Live
In a 2009 interview on CNN's Larry King Live, Dolly Parton stated she had written at least 3,000 songs and continues to write daily.
October 12, 2012: UK Tour of Dolly Parton's 9 to 5: The Musical
On October 12, 2012, the UK tour for Dolly Parton's 9 to 5: The Musical commenced at Manchester Opera House.
2012: Starred in Joyful Noise
In 2012, Dolly Parton starred in the film Joyful Noise.
2017: Estimated Net Worth
As of 2017, Dolly Parton's net worth was estimated at $500 million.
July 2019: Unannounced Appearance at Newport Folk Festival
In July 2019, Dolly Parton made an unannounced appearance at the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island, performing several songs with the Highwomen and Linda Perry.
2019: Collaborations with Christian Artists
In 2019, Dolly Parton collaborated with For King and Country on "God Only Knows" and with Zach Williams on "There Was Jesus".
April 10, 2020: Re-release of 93 Songs
On April 10, 2020, Dolly Parton re-released 93 songs from six of her classic albums: Little Sparrow, Halos & Horns, For God and Country, Better Day, Those Were The Days, and Live and Well.
May 27, 2020: Release of "When Life Is Good Again"
On May 27, 2020, Dolly Parton released a new song called "When Life Is Good Again" to uplift those affected by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
May 28, 2020: Premiere of "When Life Is Good Again" Music Video
On May 28, 2020, the music video for Dolly Parton's song "When Life Is Good Again" premiered on Time 100 talks.
October 2022: Announcement of End to Touring
In October 2022, Dolly Parton announced in an interview that she would no longer tour, but would continue to play live shows occasionally.
November 5, 2022: Induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
On November 5, 2022, Dolly Parton was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, marking a significant career achievement.
December 31, 2022: Co-hosting NBC's New Year's Special
On December 31, 2022, Dolly Parton co-hosted NBC's New Year's special Miley's New Year's Eve Party.
January 17, 2023: Announcement of Rock Album "Rockstar"
On January 17, 2023, Dolly Parton announced on The View that she would release her first rock album, titled Rockstar, later that year.
January 20, 2023: Release of "Gonna Be You"
On January 20, 2023, the soundtrack single "Gonna Be You" from the movie 80 for Brady was released, featuring Dolly Parton, Belinda Carlisle, Cyndi Lauper, Debbie Harry, and Gloria Estefan.
May 11, 2023: Release of Lead Single "World on Fire"
On May 11, 2023, Dolly Parton released "World on Fire", the lead single from her upcoming album Rockstar, and it quickly reached number 1.
November 17, 2023: Release of Rockstar Album
On November 17, 2023, Dolly Parton released her rock album Rockstar, featuring collaborations with various artists, and it debuted at number three on the Billboard 200.
2023: Rockstar Album Release
In 2023, Dolly Parton released "Rockstar", which became her highest-charting Billboard 200 album, peaking at number three.
June 2024: Announcement of Autobiographical Musical
In June 2024, Dolly Parton announced an autobiographical musical initially titled Hello, I'm Dolly with plans to open on Broadway in 2026.
2024: Good Lookin' Cookin' Cookbook
In 2024, Dolly Parton co-wrote the cookbook Good Lookin' Cookin' with her sister Rachel, recalling numerous family meals.
![Good Lookin' Cookin': A Year of Meals - A Lifetime of Family, Friends, and Food [A Cookbook]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/518J4CCf2lL._SL500_.jpg "Good Lookin' Cookin': A Year of Meals - A Lifetime of Family, Friends, and Food [A Cookbook]")
February 14, 2025: Feature on Sabrina Carpenter's Song "Please Please Please"
On February 14, 2025, Dolly Parton was featured on Sabrina Carpenter's song "Please Please Please" on the deluxe edition of her album Short n' Sweet and its accompanying music video.
March 7, 2025: Release of "If You Hadn't Been There"
On March 7, 2025, Dolly Parton released the single "If You Hadn't Been There" as a tribute to her husband, who had died a week prior. The single peaked at number 21 on the sales and downloads chart in the United Kingdom.
2026: Target Year for Broadway Opening of Autobiographical Musical
In June 2024, Dolly Parton announced an autobiographical musical initially titled Hello, I'm Dolly with plans to open on Broadway in 2026.
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