Dolly Parton: A life in pictures

Dolly Parton, the country music superstar from the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most beloved entertainers in the world. Over a career spanning more than 60 years, she sold more than 100 million records, wrote more than 3,000 songs and won 11 Grammy Awards, including a lifetime achievement honour. Yet she has always described herself first and foremost as a songwriter. "It's my way of expressing myself. It's my therapy," she once said. Dolly Parton grew up in poverty in a one-room cabin on the banks of the Little Pigeon River in Tennessee's Smoky Mountains, the fourth of 12 children. She performed on local radio and television as a child and recorded her first single at 13. After moving to Nashville the day after graduating from Sevier County High School, Dolly Parton scored her first solo hit with Dumb Blonde in 1966. In 1967, country star Porter Wagoner invited Parton to join The Porter Wagoner Show, giving her a regular role on his nationally syndicated television programme as well as a place in his touring stage show. Her breakthrough came with the album Hello, I'm Dolly. Dolly Parton became a member of the Grand Ole Opry on Janu