Dolly Parton is somebody who has been entertaining people for many years. She is known for her country music, some of which is the best music that has ever been played.
What many people don’t know about the 77-year-old celebrity is the fact that she didn’t come from the best beginnings. She had a loving family, but they were immersed in poverty and she has always remembered the humble beginnings that she experienced.
One of the issues that she had to face was the fact that she was born into a very big family. In fact, it was being born into a big family that helped to give her the motivation she needed to become a celebrity.
She was born Dolly Rebecca Parton on January 19, 1946. They owned a one-bedroom cabin in Tennessee, which she shared with 11 siblings. Her father, Robert, was a sharecropper and he also worked construction on occasion to supplement their income. He never learned how to read and write.
Despite the fact that she grew up in difficult surroundings, she always had a love of music. Her mother, Avie Lee Owen was also a performer and she taught Dolly how to sing. They would often sing together as a family.
Dolly Parton’s grandfather, Jake Robert, was a minister and he also composed a popular hymn. Her uncle, Sam Owens was a musician and songwriter and he helped to get Dolly to pursue her career.
When Dolly Parton received a guitar from her uncle, she started to write songs of her own.
“Music was such a large part of our whole family,” Parton recalled. “All of my mama’s people were musical. They all played some musical instrument. Of course, I took my music real serious, and I was always plucking along on somebody’s instrument — whatever they would leave lying around or whenever my family would come. But I always loved the guitar.”
Since she was the fourth of 12 siblings, she did help to raise some of the younger children in such a small home. One family lived under one roof with one bedroom for everyone and a living room. They didn’t have running water or electricity.
These days, the log cabin is still standing and she keeps it around to remind her of her humble upbringing. She has also shown sympathy for the poor as a result of the difficult times she faced.
She remembers that things weren’t perfect when she was growing up but she did say that they were the best of times.
As you can imagine, living with that many children in a small home was chaotic at times but they did make it as a family. They would often spend time outdoors since they didn’t have much room inside the cabin.
Dolly Parton admits that they were poor but she said that she never felt poor. She said it wasn’t until she was eight that she saw a toilet and basic bathroom items at her aunt’s house, as they didn’t have those at home.
In addition, they had to bathe only on occasion because they didn’t have a proper bathroom or running water. Typically, they did so with homemade soap and they would wash up at a local river.
She said that it became more important to bathe regularly as she got older, especially considering some of the difficulties she faced at night.
”The kids peed on me every night. We slept three and four in the bed. I would wash every night. And as soon as I go to bed, the kids would wet on me, and I’d have to get up in the morning and do the same thing.”
Even though it was unusual, she wasn’t disgusted by the issue. It is just a memory that she keeps in her mind.
These days, she is a country music star sensation that is worth about $375 million. She has a theme park, Dollywood, and she has amassed a fortune, to say the least.
We wish her the best and hope to see much more of her in the future.