By the late ’70s, Dolly’s career was skyrocketing with many consecutive hit singles and even her very own variety show called “Dolly!”. She began getting covered by various upcoming performers and her family members were getting recording contracts thanks to having the same family name. Around that time, Parton had her sights set on going mainstream by changing her style to pop music and she set out on an aggressive crossover campaign.
She hired Sandy Gallin and Gary Klein, two known names in the industry, to help her out. By 1977 her album “Here You Come Again” sold over a million copies and her crossover albums were just as successful. The talented singer was a national success story.
An Abysmal Solo Debut
Riding on the back of her success with Wagoner, Dolly decided to try her luck as a solo country artist. In 1968, she released her first solo single with RCA Victor, "Just Because I'm a Woman", and reached number seventeen on the country charts. For more than two years the singer worked hard to position herself as a successful solo artist, however, things weren't going for her and nothing seemed to work.
She received various awards for her duets with Wagoner and was even named with him as the Vocal Group of the Year by the Country Music Association but she wanted more. She wanted to be admired in her own right and not only as part of a duo. Wagoner believed in Dolly and was willing to stake some serious financial resources in seeing her succeed. Eventually, after a long and frustrating period, he had a brilliant idea, and asked Parton to cover Jimmie Rodgers' "Mule Skinner Blues".
First Taste of Solo Success
Wagoner's gamble was successful, as Parton's rendition of "Mule Skinner Blues" reached number three in the charts. The next single, "Joshua", was her first one to be ranked first place. From there, Parton enjoyed two years of a steady succession of solo hits including her signature song "Coat of Many Colors". She was enjoying massive success both as a solo musician and in her duets with Wagoner.
In April 1974, the two made their last performance as a team and transitioned from a duet into business partners. Dolly was on fire and even managed to compose both "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You" in a single songwriting session. From there, the sky was looking clear for Dolly, and she became very interested in transitioning into the mainstream Pop music genre. She was the hottest new name around.
Acting Career
Dolly Parton set her sights on acting quite early in her career and has appeared in many films and TV shows over the years. She knew that a great way to expand her influence would be to appear on the big screen too. Her first official acting job was in the 1980 comedy "9 to 5" which became a major box office hit and helped boost her recognition even more.
She also teamed up with Sylvester Stallone for the 1984 comedy film "Rhinestone" which unfortunately wasn't nearly as successful. Parton still appears in the occasional movies and in 2019 released "Dolly Parton's Heartstrings", an eight-part Netflix series that revolved around her career.
Dolly and Dean
Dolly and Carl Thomas Dean, a retired asphalt road-paving company owner, got married in early 1966. Despite the singer's popularity, Dean was much more secluded and rarely appeared at public events. Dolly also claims that her husband has only seen her perform once throughout her entire career but maintains that they have a very loving and romantic marriage nonetheless.
When asked in 2011 about the state of her marriage to Dean, the singer said, "We're really proud of our marriage. It's a first for both of us. And the last." The two have renewed their vows in 2016 after five decades of marriage, and appear to be going strong. This is an extremely rare case in the entertainment industry, which just goes to show what an incredible and loving person Dolly is.