Overview
The National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author of Heartland focuses her laser-sharp insights on a working-class icon and one of the most unifying figures in American culture: Dolly Parton.
Growing up amid Kansas wheat fields and airplane factories, Sarah Smarsh witnessed firsthand the particular vulnerabilities—and strengths—of women in working poverty. Meanwhile, country songs by female artists played in the background, telling powerful stories about life, men, hard times, and surviving. In her family, she writes, “country music was foremost a language among women. It’s how we talked to each other in a place where feelings aren’t discussed.” And no one provided that language better than Dolly Parton.
Smarsh challenged a typically male vision of the rural working class with her first book, Heartland, starring the bold, hard-luck women who raised her. Now, in She Come By It Natural, originally published in a four-part series for The Journal of Roots Music, No Depression, Smarsh explores the overlooked contributions to social progress by such women—including those averse to the term “feminism”—as exemplified by Dolly Parton’s life and art.
Far beyond the recently resurrected “Jolene” or quintessential “9 to 5,” Parton’s songs for decades have validated women who go unheard: the poor woman, the pregnant teenager, the struggling mother disparaged as “trailer trash.” Parton’s broader career—from singing on the front porch of her family’s cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains to achieving stardom in Nashville and Hollywood, from “girl singer” managed by powerful men to leader of a self-made business and philanthropy empire—offers a springboard to examining the intersections of gender, class, and culture.
Infused with Smarsh’s trademark insight, intelligence, and humanity, She Come By It Natural is a sympathetic tribute to the icon Dolly Parton and—call it whatever you like—the organic feminism she embodies.
By .
It’s time to get to know the woman behind all the rhinestones, the biggest hair, the highest heels, and some of the most successful songs in country music.
Dolly Parton’s five-decade-long career comes to life in A&E’s new documentary “Biography: Dolly”. The two-hour film chronicles the “Jolene” singer from growing up in poverty to becoming the queen of country music. The film includes exclusive interviews from Dolly herself, as well as appearances by Lily Tomlin, Chris Stapleton, Jane Fonda, Lady Antebellum, and more.
The fourth of twelve children, Dolly was born in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee in a one-room cabin that had no electricity. The family listened to the Grand Ole Opry on a battery. By her own reckoning, Parton, 74, has written over 3,000 songs, beginning with an ode to her corncob doll, Tasseltop, when she was 6. “I may look like a show pony,” Parton writes in her excellent.
“A great stocking stuffer for fans of the country sensation. Smarsh portrays Parton as a voice for poor, working-class and undervalued women. This biography of the singer-songwriter is a testament to how she has been embraced by generations of women who see Dolly Parton, not just as a superstar, but also as a sister.' —The Detroit Free Press. “ She Come by It Natural ” is a paean to cultural icon Dolly Parton, who emerged from her poverty-stricken upbringing in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., to become a country superstar and philanthropist. The Truth About Hollywood Icon Dolly Parton's Struggles And Her Journey To Fame.Subscribe: https://goo.gl/Hnoaw3-.
“Biography: Dolly” premieres Sunday, April 12, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on A&E.
photo: a&eDolly Parton started at rock bottom. The singer was one of 12 children and grew up poor in a tiny one-room cabin in the foothills of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains. But, she never let that discourage her from becoming a star, in fact it motivated her even more.
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- photo: a&e
Dolly Parton started at rock bottom. The singer was one of 12 children and grew up poor in a tiny one-room cabin in the foothills of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains. But, she never let that discourage her from becoming a star, in fact it motivated her even more.
- The Move To Music Cityphoto: a&e
At just 18-years-old, Dolly made the move to Nashville, TN., to pursue her dreams of becoming a country music singer. Arriving with an old beat up suitcase, a few bags of dirty clothes, a guitar, and very little money, she admits she wasn’t afraid of anything and knew deep down she was destined to be a star.
Dolly recalls being laughed at by her classmates for pursuing her dreams, but she knew if she stayed back in her hometown, she would be living in poverty, raising kids, and managing a house – all the things she never wanted to do.
- photo: a&e
It’s a well-known fact that Dolly and her husband Carl Dean keep their relationship extremely private and have done so ever since the beginning. This could be the key to keeping the romance strong after so many years.
Dolly chronicles meeting her husband for the first time and it all started at a local laundromat on the same day she moved to Nashville. The singer admits she wasn’t looking for a husband when she moved to the city because she wanted to focus on her career - turns out she got both!
Dolly and Carl even decided to keep their marriage a secret for one year because her producers didn’t want her getting into a serious relationship. There’s no surprise Dolly proved them wrong, demonstrating she could in fact be married and still have a successful career.
- Dolly’s Big Breakphoto: getty
Fans see a closer look into the relationship between Dolly and the late Porter Wagoner. The singer, known as Mr. Grand Ole Opry, first introduced Dolly to the world in 1967, hiring her as the newest female vocalist on his hit musical variety show, “The Porter Wagoner Show”. This ended up being Dolly’s big break and she would go on to stay on the show for almost a decade. American megatrends via694x/686a/686b driver download. Clx.paypen drivers download for windows 10, 8.1, 7, vista, xp. Although she came to Nashville to be a solo artist, the pair became one of the most well-known and well-loved vocal duos in country music history.
Dolly details her relationship with Wagoner, admitting they fought a lot because of their similar personalities and stubbornness.
- Photo: getty
Porter got Dolly her first big record deal with RCA in 1968 but it was an eventful road to get there. The singer recalls arriving at her first recording session where she drove her brand new car into the side of the building. She didn’t let that stop her, admitting after several bricks tumbled onto her car, she walked inside the building as if nothing ever happened.
The old RCA studio is now a historic site in Nashville, and dolly says you can tell the bricks are a little different in one particular spot.
- The Story Behind ‘I Will Always Love You’photo: a&e
Dolly and Porter parted ways in 1974, but not before their partnership inspired one of her most famous singles “I Will Always Love You”. Porter urged Dolly to stop making songs about “Mama’s old black kettle” and start writing about the most relatable subject on Earth: love.
Porter told Dolly that song would earn her more money and fame than all her other material put together, and he was right. Nearly 20 years after Dolly wrote the ballad, Whitney Houston recorded it, the updated version staying at No. 1 for 14 weeks in the US.
Dolly also admits Houston’s version is the most unbelievable thing she's ever heard and jokes it made her rich.
- photo: getty
Dolly was one of the first to make the transition from country to pop, which ultimately paved the way for her mainstream superstardom.
“Jolene” was her first pop-crossover song. Her duet with the late Kenny Rogers, “Islands In The Stream”, became a worldwide hit on the country, pop, and adult contemporary charts.
- A Never-Ending Repertoirephoto: A&e
Dolly says she has written more than 3000 songs over her career and never stops, revealing she writes almost one a day.
Fun Fact: Two of Dolly’s biggest hits – “I Will Always Love You” and “Jolene” – were written on the same evening.
- photo: a&e
Don’t let the “dumb blond” underestimate you. With her southern belle charm and songwriting ability, Dolly has proven her success has come from her hard work, not her appearance.
In an old interview with Barbara Walters that’s featured in the documentary, Dolly told her, “I know people make fun of me. All these years, people think the joke has been on me but it’s actually been on the public. I know exactly what I’m doing … I make more jokes about myself than anybody.”
Behind all the glamour and success, Dolly makes it clear she’s still the little country girl who grew up in the mountains of Tennessee, and for that – we will always love you, Dolly.
- Her Personal Favouritephoto: getty
With over 3,000 songs to her name, “Coat of Many Colors” has always remained Dolly’s personal favourite. The inspiring song was written about her mother and covers topics like bullying, acceptance, and confidence.
Dolly Parton Autobiography Pdf
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