ArkansasRadio.com stations KWCK 99-9, Cowboy Country 100.7 KEAZ, The Bull 105-7 KBGB and Timeless 106.1 KFFB are remembering the life, music and enduring legacy of Country Music Hall of Famer Dolly Parton by featuring 2 of her songs every hour today.
Parton, whose unmistakable voice, songwriting and generosity made her one of the world’s most beloved entertainers, died Tuesday, August 25, in Nashville. She was 80.
Her family announced her death Tuesday. Details surrounding her death were not immediately released.
Parton’s music has been part of the soundtrack of life for generations of country music listeners across Arkansas and around the world.
Listeners can hear 2 Dolly Parton songs every hour throughout today on KWCK 99-9, Cowboy Country 100.7 KEAZ, The Bull 105-7 KBGB and Timeless 106.1 KFFB.
Born Dolly Rebecca Parton on January 19, 1946, in East Tennessee, she was the 4th of 12 children. Parton grew up in a 1-room cabin in Locust Ridge, where music became a defining part of her life.
Parton began performing as a child and appeared at the Grand Ole Opry at age 13. She moved to Nashville after graduating from high school and initially found success writing songs for other performers.
Her debut album, “Hello, I’m Dolly,” was released in 1967. That same year, she joined “The Porter Wagoner Show,” beginning a successful partnership with Wagoner that produced numerous hit duets.
Parton later emerged as one of country music’s most successful solo performers. She sold more than 100 million records worldwide and wrote an estimated 3,000 songs during her career.
Her best-known songs include “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “Here You Come Again,” “9 To 5” and “I Will Always Love You.”
Parton also recorded memorable collaborations, including “Islands In The Stream” and “Real Love” with Kenny Rogers. She joined Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt for the “Trio” album and collaborated with Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette on “Honky Tonk Angels.”
Her talents extended beyond music. Parton starred in “9 To 5,” “The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas,” “Steel Magnolias,” “Rhinestone” and “Straight Talk.”
She also helped transform tourism in East Tennessee through The Dollywood Company, which operates the Dollywood theme park, Dollywood’s Splash Country water park and other family entertainment venues.
Parton’s charitable work became another major part of her legacy. She founded Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in 1995 to provide free books to children from birth to age 5.
Her career honors included 11 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award. She received 10 CMA Awards and became 1 of only 7 women to win the CMA Entertainer of the Year Award.
Parton became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1969 and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
Her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, died in March 2025.
A private service is being planned for immediate family members. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at:
KWCK 99-9, Cowboy Country 100.7 KEAZ, The Bull 105-7 KBGB and Timeless 106.1 KFFB join Dolly Parton’s fans throughout Arkansas and around the world in remembering her remarkable life and music.
Listen throughout today for 2 Dolly Parton songs every hour on the ArkansasRadio.com stations.
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