American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton was BOTD in 1946. Born in Pittman Center, Tennessee, she displayed an early talent for music, performing on local radio and television as a child. In 1964, she moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music, becoming the protégée of country music star Porter Wagoner. She launched a solo career in 1974, scoring huge hits with Jolene and Love Is Like a Butterfly, evolving successfully into pop music with Here You Come Again. In 1980, she made her film debut in feminist revenge comedy Nine to Five, writing and performing the theme song which became a feminist anthem. She juggled music and acting careers throughout the 1980s, starring in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Steel Magnolias, teaming with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris in the successful country album Trio, and famously dueting with Kenny Rogers in karaoke favourite Islands in the Stream. In the 1990s, she returned to her musical roots with a series of acclaimed bluegrass albums, including the hit single Little Sparrow. Her 1974 song I Will Always Love You later became a massive hit for Whitney Houston. Parton is also known for her charity works, opening theme park Dollywood in Tennessee to boost the local economy and sponsoring a number of reading programmes for children. In 2020, she made a substantial early donation to the development of the Moderna vaccine for COVID-19, and promoted national vaccination campaigns. Known for her pneumatic surgically-enhanced bust, rhinestone-encrusted outfits and salty humour (frequently joking “it takes a lot of money to look this cheap”), she has, perhaps unsurprisingly, become a gay icon. Parton married Carl Dean since 1966, with whom she raised several of her younger siblings, remaining together until his death in 2025. Intriguingly, Parton has managed to advocate for LGBTQ rights without alienating her conservative Christian fanbase. Rumours about her sexuality have circulated since the 1970s, particularly her close friendship with childhood friend Judy Ogle, which Parton has cheerfully denied.