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Country Music Hall of Famer Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton made her debut at the Grand Ole Opry in 1959 when she was just 13. Since then, she's wrote thousands of songs, including "Coat of Many Colors," "Jolene" and Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." Parton is one of the few performers who was successful enough to start her own theme park. But the philanthropist, actress and singer-songwriter wasn't always wealthy. She grew up, as she put it, "dirt poor" in a one-room cabin in the mountains of East Tennessee. In this 2001 interview, Parton described how her interest in music started when she was sitting on her front porch, listening to country songs and traditional mountain music.
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Today in Fresh Air History

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