Remembering Dolly Parton: 5 Greatest Hits and the Stories Behind Them

Dolly Parton passed away at the age of 80, leaving behind one of the most remarkable legacies in music history. The country music legend was a singer, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur and philanthropist whose songs reached far beyond country radio and became part of the American soundtrack. 

Parton wrote thousands of songs throughout her career, but a handful became defining moments, not just because they were hits, but because each one carried a story.

As we remember Dolly Parton, here are five of her greatest hits and the stories behind the songs.

Few songs in country music are as instantly recognizable as “Jolene.” Released in 1973, the song tells the story of a woman pleading with another woman not to take the man she loves. But the real story behind “Jolene” is a little more complicated.

Parton has explained that the name came from a young fan who approached her after a performance and introduced herself as Jolene. Parton loved the name and eventually gave it to the character in her song.

The inspiration for the song's jealousy, meanwhile, came from a real-life situation involving a red-haired bank teller who Parton felt was paying a little too much attention to her husband, Carl Dean.

Before Whitney Houston turned “I Will Always Love You” into a worldwide pop phenomenon, it was a deeply personal Dolly Parton song.

Parton wrote the song in 1973 as she was preparing to leave The Porter Wagoner Show. Wagoner had been an important mentor and collaborator, but Parton was ready to pursue her own career.

Rather than turning their professional breakup into a bitter confrontation, Parton put her feelings into a song.

She recorded the song herself, and it became a major country hit. Years later, Houston's version for The Bodyguard soundtrack introduced the song to an entirely new generation and transformed it into one of the biggest ballads in pop history.

If there is one song that captures Dolly Parton's childhood and Appalachian roots, it may be “Coat of Many Colors.”

The song tells the true story of a coat Parton's mother made for her when the family had very little money. Her mother stitched together scraps of fabric to make the coat, but when Parton wore it to school, other children made fun of her because it wasn't store-bought.

What could have been remembered simply as an embarrassing childhood experience became something much bigger.

Parton turned the memory into a song about family, love and finding richness in places where others see poverty. The Country Music Hall of Fame notes that Parton has regarded “Coat of Many Colors” as a favorite among her own songs. 

Dolly Parton didn't just sing the title song for the 1980 movie “9 to 5”, she helped turn it into one of the most memorable workplace anthems ever recorded.

Parton starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the film about three women taking on an unfair and sexist workplace. She wrote the song specifically for the movie, and it became a crossover smash.

Parton's distinctive guitar-and-percussion sound was partly created by an unusual trick: she used her long acrylic fingernails to create a rhythmic clicking sound reminiscent of a typewriter.

The gamble paid off.

“9 to 5” reached No. 1 on both the country and pop charts and earned Parton two GRAMMY Awards. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. 

Dolly Parton's musical legacy wasn't limited to songs she wrote herself. One of her biggest hits came from an unexpected collaboration with another superstar: Kenny Rogers.

“Islands in the Stream” was written by the Bee Gees and originally conceived as an R&B song. The song ultimately found its way to Rogers, who recorded it with Parton for his 1983 album Eyes That See in the Dark. 

The pairing of Rogers and Parton proved magical.

The song became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped cement the friendship and musical chemistry between the two artists. They would go on to collaborate multiple times over the years.