The death of Dolly Parton today at age 80 has the world mourning one of America’s most beloved entertainers: a generation-spanning performer and country music icon who took as much pride in her music as she did her sparkling appearance. Parton’s impressive musical output across a 60-year career and a whopping 50 albums was built on a foundation of her undeniable knack for songwriting: ranging from heartfelt lyrics to catchy hooks. Here are just 10 of Parton’s greatest contributions to the American musical lexicon.
It’s a country classic that tows the line between tough and vulnerable, and according to an oft-told story by Parton, inspired by true events. Based on a real person Parton felt threatened by that her late husband Carl Dean knew, the music legend turned her anxiety into some of the sharpest lines of her career which hum along on an unforgettable melody. As legend has it, the real person was a red-headed clerk at a local bank.
Meanwhile, the actual name came from a young fan she signed an autograph for; the chorus came from Parton repeating Jolene over and over so she wouldn’t later forget it. Landing on multiple lists that rank the greatest songs of all time, Jolene also holds the distinction of being nominated for a Grammy for best female country vocal performance twice: once for the original track in 1975, and then again for a live recording a year later. Demonstrating Parton’s undeniable knack for songwriting, one of the most amazing stories in the annals of music history is that Parton wrote Jolene and her tour de force romantic anthem I Will Always Love You within a stunningly short span of each other. (The previous legend stated that she wrote them on the same day, which Parton humbly disputed in 2022).
Funnily enough, Parton didn’t write this one in tribute to her husband: instead, it was an ode to mentor Porter Wagoner, with Parton penning the track in light of going solo after closely collaborating with the fellow country icon. Sure, fellow icon Whitney Houston would later make the song her own, but Parton’s version is just as legendary. Get that steaming cup of ambition!
It’s a working-class anthem for the ages, and Parton makes the office grind sound kind of fun. Recorded for the 1980 comedy 9 to 5 which starred Parton alongside Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda as hard workers with an ax to, well, grind, both the blockbuster movie and song launched Parton firmly into the mainstream upon its release. The bouncy tune kicks off with that pulsating piano, almost mimicking a machine, before busting into its instantly memorable chorus and it was all inspired by her nails.
On set, Parton would scrape her acrylics together, with the rhythm and beat born out of a unique movement only Parton could concoct. The 9 to 5 track itself became Parton’s first Hot 100 No 1 hit, and it would later inspire a 2009 musical. Any fan of Parton knows about her hardscrabble youth; growing up in poverty in the mountains of rural Tennessee before she evolved into the dazzling legend we know her as today.
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