Dolly Parton has been around music all her life, and nothing seems to stop her from continuing to do what she loves the most.

She was born on January 19, 1946, in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, near the Great Smoky Mountains. She grew up somewhat poor: as one of 12 children money was quite an issue.

However, music became something her family gathered around. Her mother sang and played guitar, and when Parton performed in at a young age, she started to learn more about music.

Dolly Parton got her own guitar from her uncle. Before long, she had started to write her own songs.

By age 10, she had performed on several local television and radio stations in Knoxville, Tennessee, and at age 13, she made her debut on the national country radio station, Grand Ole Opry. At the time, she was making about $20 a week.