Dolly Parton Turns 80 After Seven Decades in Music

According to People, country star Dolly Parton — Nashville's pride and joy — turns 80 on Jan. 19, 2026.

Born on Jan. 19, 1946, in a cabin in Pittman Center, Tenn., Parton's career spans seven decades. She has released 50 studio albums across multiple genres, written 25 No. 1 hits, won 11 Grammys and three Emmys, starred in films and television, opened Dollywood and founded charitable efforts including the Imagination Library. Her debut album Hello, I'm Dolly arrived in 1967; her first Grammy came in 1979 and her most recent in 2021.

Parton married Carl Dean in 1966; he died at age 82 on March 3, 2025. She launched her last full-scale tour in 2016 and has since limited performances to shorter runs and one-off shows. In 2025 she published Star of the Show: My Life on Stage, and she is scheduled to open Dolly: A True Original Musical on Broadway in 2026.

Key Topics

Culture, Dolly Parton, Carl Dean, Dollywood, Imagination Library, Hello I'm Dolly