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Dolly Parton is a cultural icon whose powerful voice and songwriting skills have established her as a presence on both the country and pop music charts for decades. She initially found success with country star Porter Wagoner, before embarking on a solo career marked by hit songs like “Joshua,” “Jolene,” “The Bargain Store,” “I Will Always Love You,” “Here You Come Again,” “9 to 5,” and “Islands in the Stream,” among many others.
A highly skilled singer/songwriter known for thoughtful narratives and distinctive vocals, she has won many major awards and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999. She has also starred in films like 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias and opened her Dollywood theme park in 1986. Parton continues to record and tour regularly.
In the cutthroat world of entertainment, she is among the few “superstars” who are both loved and respected. These are among her most-quoted observations.
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o Storms make trees take deeper roots.
o I’m not going to limit myself just because people won’t accept the fact that I can do something else.
o When I got somethin’ to say, I’ll say it.
o If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.
o Find out who you are. And do it on purpose.
o Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.
o You always want your people to be proud of what you have accomplished.
o If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then you are an excellent leader.
o It’s hard to be a diamond in a rhinestone world.
o I know who I am, I know what I can and can’t do. I know what I will and won’t do. I know what I’m capable of and I don’t agree to do things that I don’t think I can pull off.
o We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.
o You gotta keep trying to find your niche and trying to fit into whatever slot that’s left for you or to make one of your own.
o You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try.
o The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.
o I’ve had heartaches, headaches, toothaches, earaches, and I’ve had a few pains in the ass, but I’ve survived to tell about it.
o Being a star just means that you just find your own special place, and that you shine where you are.
o I’m not happy all the time, and I wouldn’t want to be because that would make me a shallow person. But I do try to find the good in everybody.
o You know, I look like a woman but I think like a man. And in this world of business, that has helped me a lot. Because by the time they think that I don’t know what’s goin’ on, I then got the money, and am gone.
o Smile — it increases your face value.
o I always just thought if you see somebody without a smile, give’em yours!
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To learn more about Dolly Parton’s life and work, please click here.