Growing up in the Great Smoky Mountains of Sevierville, Tennessee, Dolly Parton spent her early years living the simple life – but not without more grandiose dreams. "I just knew that I wanted to be out in a bigger world," Parton recalled to USA Today. "I knew there was more than just the Smokies. I love my people, I love my home, but I just wanted to do more."
Even though she lived in a rural area, Parton still found opportunities to hone her craft. In her earliest days, she described "performing" on her front porch by sticking a tin can on a tobacco stick as a makeshift microphone and singing her heart out. It wasn't long before she was making the rounds for real. "I had an uncle, Bill Owens, that used to take me around to different places to sing," she shared with USA Today. "He had taught me all the chords on the guitar, because he saw early on that I was serious about my singing."
Looking back on her childhood, Parton has shared some advice that she would give her little self as she prepared for what seems to be an inevitable life in the spotlight. "This is what you want and you're going to get it, but you're going to have to work for it and try to love it," she shared with USA Today. "You're going to have a wild ride, but you're going to love it."
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