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She describes being dirt poor, growing up with a family of 14 in a small home in Seiver, TN. Her father was a tobacco farmer and music seemed to be the young girl’s successful path in life.
Dolly Parton has a whopping $650 million net worth today but she hasn’t forgotten her Tennessee roots. In fact, she’s known for giving back to her hometown in massive ways, building a theme park, increasing the tourism industry in the area and friends would say she’s just as down to earth and friendly as her country roots instilled many years ago.
See how the 77-year-old superstar has earned her fortune.
A Singer Since Birth
Dolly Parton began singing at the age of 9 in her local church congregation. The day after she graduated high school, the iconic songstress moved to Nashville and despite a rocky start, launched into stardom with hits like “Jolene”, “I Will Always Love You” and “9 to 5”. She’s had 25 number one singles over the years and while audiences may have been drawn in by her sparkling attire and large blonde wigs, they stuck around to hear the lyrics and sweet tone of each song.
She Writes the Majority of Her Own Songs
The superstar estimates she’s written around 3,000 songs according to MSN, making her music catalog alone, worth $150 million. In addition, the business-savvy woman made a decision early in her career that’s proven fruitful for decades. When moving to Nashville as a young teen, she met up with her uncle, Bill Owens and the two founded publishing company Owe-Par, ensuring the vast majority of Dolly’s work is owned by her.
Royalties for Her Work
The 1973 song “I Will Always Love You” is a perfect example of Parton’s business sense. At one time the King of Rock n’Roll himself expressed interest in recording the song but when Elvis’ manager insisted she hand over half of the song’s publishing rights, Dolly declined. Nearly two decades later, she agreed to loan the song to producers for the upcoming blockbuster hit, The Bodyguard. The song sung by music icon Whitney Houston spent 14 weeks at the No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 and is still the best-selling single by a female artist of all time according to Celebrity Net Worth. Parton earns a percentage of profit each time it’s played.
Dollywood
In 1986, country’s favorite performer partnered with Herschend Family Entertainment to convert Silver Dollar City amusement park in Pigeon Forge, TN to Dollywood according to Love Money. One of Tennessee’s most popular tourist attractions today features amusement park rides, award-winning theater shows and dining experiences like none other.
Dollywood Expansion Projects
Parton stands to earn more fortune from the recent expansion projects in Dollywood, including the nearby Splash Country Water Park, DreamMore Resort and Spa and plans to open Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge and Resort in 2023. The new resort is phase one of the park’s $500 million, 10-year investment plan and as co-owner, Parton’s stake is worth nearly $200 million.
She’s Graced the Big Screen More than Once
In 1980, Parton shared the screen with Jane Fonda and Lilly Tomlin in 9 to 5, also writing and singing the title track to the film and earning a Grammy for Best Country Song and Best Country Vocal Performance. She went on to star in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, 1984’s Rhinestone, the classic film Steel Magnolias in 1989 and 2012’s Joyful Noise, alongside Queen Latifah and Courtney B. Vance.
Making a Deal with Netflix
In 2018 the “Coat of Many Colors” singer agreed to produce and star in several specials, including Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings and the 2020 Emmy-winning film Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square to name a few. In recent interviews, Parton has shared her joy from working with the streaming giant and in addition, they’ve given her creative control with the projects, allowing her creativity and love for her fans to shine.
Partnering with IMG Licensing
What’s often surprises those that don’t know her is Parton’s uncanny ability to know a good business deal when she sees one. In 2019, the blonde-haired beauty agreed to a multi-year deal to expand her brand, including her face on Duncan Hines bakeware collection, Williams Sonoma cookware collection and other global companies. Don’t be surprised if the next cake mix you purchase includes Dolly’s smiling face.
An Unstoppable Marketing Tool
When Parton launched her debut fragrance Scent From Above in the summer of 2021 on shopping site HSN, it became the fastest selling perfume in the past decade for the company. In addition, HSN reports the new scent marks the highest-ever single-day sales in the online shopping company’s history.
Best-Selling Author
Who doesn’t love Dolly? Even famous fiction writer James Patterson was overjoyed to work with Parton on her first co-authored novel Run, Rose, Run. She teamed up with an experienced author to create a book about a young country singer who harbors a dark secret. Parton added her musical talents to the project, releasing a companion album for the novel and fans loved it. The novel became a No. 1 bestseller in March of 2022 and the album peaked at No. 4 on the US Top Country Albums that same month.
With so much success, fans can anticipate the movie version of Run, Rose, Run to reach the big screen soon, produced by Hello Sunshine, the production company founded by Dolly’s good friend and Hollywood star Reese Witherspoon.
Sources: MSN, Celebrity Net Worth, Love Money
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