Musical Roots of Dolly Parton's Birthplace

Beneath her glitter and rhinestones, Dolly Parton is still a Smoky Mountains sharecropper’s daughter who never forgets where her music began – Sevierville, her hometown, just outside Pigeon Forge. Dolly’s early life and the music she absorbed made her into the legend she is today.

Want to see how Dolly grew up? Visit Dollywood. Don’t stop at the breathtaking roller coasters or glamorous stage shows. Instead, find the rustic log cabin tucked inside this huge theme park. The one-bedroom cabin is a replica of Dolly’s childhood home on a small farm. In the original cabin, her parents raised 12 children. 

Mountain Music Everywhere

The family lived a hardscrabble life, but always had music around. Dolly recalls that her family played fiddles, mandolins, banjos and guitars. By seven she was playing a homemade guitar, and at eight she got her first real guitar, a gift from an uncle. 

Dolly grew up hearing her mother sing traditional Appalachian ballads. At the church where her grandfather was the preacher (and a fiddler), Dolly learned hymns and spirituals. Bluegrass and country music filled the airwaves across the mountains on local radio stations.

That guitar-strumming Parton girl was singing on radio shows by the time she was 10. At 13, Dolly was on stage at The Grand Ole Opry. At 16, she cut her first record. As soon as she finished high school, Dolly left for Nashville. 

Songwriting About Her Life

Dolly has written more than 5,000 songs and many of them mine her family’s poverty, happiness and love, to create unforgettable images. 

“Coat of Many Colors” is about the patchwork coat her frugal mother made for her. “My Tennessee Mountain Home” paints a picture of peaceful front porches and walks home from church. Dolly’s music reflects tough times, too, like when she recalls “In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad).”

Echoes of Dolly in Sevierville 

When you vacation in the Smoky Mountains, head to Sevierville. You’ll discover how Dolly’s musical heritage started here. See where Dolly’s first paid performance took place: The Pines Theater, now a duckpin bowling venue. Walk by the First Baptist Church, part of which is the former grocery store where Dolly sang weekly as a youngster. Visit the statue of Dolly in the beautiful historic downtown.

Stay in a Sevierville or Pigeon Forge cabin and you’re close to Dollywood and Dolly’s musical landmarks!