2. Dolly Grew Up In a Family of Twelve Children
Fans know about Dolly’s rags to riches story but they may not be aware of this important detail. A big part of her humble beginnings is being the fourth of 12 children and her family lived under extreme poverty. She was raised in the Smoky Mountains of rural Tennessee and looking back there reminds her to always put her feet on the ground.
Dolly Parton poses for a portrait in 1955. Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Her family was so short in cash that when Dolly was born, they had to pay the doctor who delivered her with nothing but oatmeal. This might come as a surprise though the country star didn’t keep her unglamorous past a secret. She once said that they didn’t have electricity in their home. They had to catch fireflies from outside and put them in a mason jar to light up their bedroom for just a bit.