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Dolly Parton (1946)close

Dolly Parton grew up as the fourth of 12 children on a rundown farm in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, near the Smoky Mountains National Forest. While the young Parton was much-ridiculed for her poverty, she turned to music for comfort. After learning to play a guitar that was a gift from her uncle, she began making public music appearances. By the age of 12, she made her debut on a Knoxville television station, and by the age of 14, she had already landed a recording contract with Mercury, and was making appearances on the Grand Old Opry. Today she continues her music career, has starred in movies and on television, and has her own theme park Dolly Wood.

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