Question

Music as a Vocation: Dolly Parton

1. Where was Dolly Parton born and what did her family’s life look like?
2. Describe Parton’s childhood. What events or experiences influenced her?
3. What role did the radio and music play in Parton’s childhood?
4. Parton describes being the first in her family to have many experiences:
leave home, graduate high school, earn money, etc. Have you or someone
you know been the first to do something in their family? Describe.
5. What were Parton’s musical influences? How did her upbringing shape these
influences?
6. How did Parton begin her career in music?
7. Describe Parton’s professional relationship with Porter Wagoner. How did
their dynamic help or hinder Parton's career?

Answer 1

Dolly Parton was born into a large, musically inclined but impoverished family in Tennessee. She was the first to graduate and earn money in her family, influenced by her rural upbringing and diverse musical exposure. Parton began her music career early, improved by her partnership with Porter Wagoner, and made a significant mark on the music industry.

Step-by-step explanation:

Dolly Parton was born in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, within a humble and large family where she was the fourth of twelve children. Her family's life was marked by poverty; however, they were rich in love and musicality, inspiring her future career. Parton's childhood was filled with music and singing at church and at home, shaping her deep connection to music early on. The radio and music, such as the broadcast from the Grand Ol' Opry, played a vital role in her childhood, providing her with exposure to various artistic influences and helping hone her musical skills.

Parton was a trailblazer in her family as being the first to achieve many milestones, such as leaving home, graduating from high school, and earning money through her talents. As with Carl Perkins' experience with African American musical mentors that led to his crossover hit "Blue Suede Shoes," Parton's musical influences were diverse and her upbringing in the Appalachian region contributed to her distinct sound.

Parton began her career in music as a child, performing on local radio and television programs, and at age 13, she recorded her first single. Her professional relationship with Porter Wagoner was significant, launching her into the spotlight through his television show and label connections, despite later tension as she sought to forge her own path.

Answer 2

1. Dolly Parton was born in 1946 in Locust Ridge, Tennessee in a one-room cabin, the fourth child of an illiterate sharecropper and a housewife who birthed 12 kids before she turned 35. According to this MSN look at her early life, as a girl, Parton was often peed on in the bed she shared with her younger siblings.

2. She later described her family to be economically backward. Dolly Parton’s family was inclined towards music and she took up singing from her mother. She credits her uncle Bill Owens for supporting her for taking music as a career at a young age.

3. Dolly Parton began her professional performances at the age of 10 through television and radio shows in Knoxville, Tennessee. Later her career began flourishing in the year 1967

4. Yes, many things like some challenges I do and other things.

5. Parton's Musical Influences Though sometimes overshadowed by the more glamorous aspects of Parton's popular image, traditional Appalachian folk, country, and bluegrass music have played an important role in her life

6. Dolly Parton began her professional performances at the age of 10 through television and radio shows in Knoxville, Tennessee. Later her career began flourishing in the year 1967 when she partnered with entertainer Porter Wagoner for the Porter Wagoner Show. This partnership also helped her in receiving a musical contract from RCA Records.

7. Before she rose to fame, Parton was a singer and co-star in the Porter Wagoner Show, beginning in 1967. At that time, Wagoner was the more famous of the pair.

Step-by-step explanation: