Soon after she graduated from high school she moved to Nashville to follow her dreams taking her hillbilly charm, lovable southern accent, and folklore traditions of East Tennessee with her. At the age of 21 she married Carl Dean, owner of a small asphalt paving business in Nashville. Although her husband has always shunned publicity and the entertainment world, rarely accompanying Dolly to her performances, their

marriage has held together. Dolly's talents as a singer/songwriter and later actress, led her to become one of America's top superstars. Her song "Coat of Many Colors" reflected her humble mountain upbringing and was to become one of her many classics. To date Dolly Parton remains one of the most popular female country artists, known and loved by music lovers all over the world. From her poor family upbringing in the mountains of Tennessee, she is now making millions of dollars.

Unlike most celebrities that once famous, desert their hometown family and friends for the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, Dolly chose instead to give back to her community. In 1986 Dolly Parton went into partnership with Herschend Family Enterprises owners of a theme park in her hometown Sevier County, Tennessee. The park then named "Silver Dollar City" in Pigeon Forge, now known as "Dollywood," today ranks in the top 50 most attended theme parks worldwide! After adding several new attractions, Dollywood became an instant success in 1986 drawing 1.3 million visitors, a 75% increase over Silver Dollars City's last season the year before. Dollywood has consistently maintained a steady flow of more than two million visitors annually. More than $110, million has been spent on the park's expansions and additions including the most recent water adventure theme park "Splash Country." Another of Dolly's Pigeon Forge investments is "Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede."

In 2006 Parton pledged $500,000 toward a proposed $90 million hospital and cancer center to be constructed in Sevierville, Tennessee, in the name of Dr. Robert F. Thomas, the physician who delivered her. Her pledge was followed by a benefit concert playing to 8,000 people to raise additional funds for the project. Dolly Parton's "Imagination Library" began in her hometown Sevier County and is one of her many charitable efforts, where one book per month is mailed to children from birth to kindergarten and is now replicated in 566 counties across 36 U.S. states and parts of Canada. Last year the charity spread across the pond to a town in Yorkshire, England. To date the program distributes more than 2.5 million free books to children annually.

In her efforts to preserve the American Bald Eagle, Parton recently visited the Smoky Mountains to witness the American Eagle Foundation based in Dollywood, return a bald eagle to the wild. The young eagle that Dolly named "Liberty" was freed after being blown out of its nest several weeks before. Dolly Parton has left her heart in East Tennessee, she has not forgotten her roots. It is said that she frequently makes unannounced appearances at

Dollywood, just so say hi to the folks back home. During television interviews Dolly has frequently joked about her numerous plastic surgeries saying, "If I see something sagging, bagging and dragging, I'm going to nip it, tuck it, and suck it!" Adding "it takes a lot of money to look this cheap." We all know she has needed a few nips and tucks along the way to help keep her voluptuous figure and flamboyant looks but at least she willingly admits to it and has become the envy of many aging women. Pigeon Forge and the Great Smoky Mountains has become a thriving tourist attraction known for it's good, clean wholesome family orientated entertainment. Parton's business investments have not only revitalized Sevier County but brought jobs and tax revenues to a previously depressed region.
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