The Life of Country Music Icon Dolly Parton

In 1986, she was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, a major honor for the craft behind her celebrity. By then, her wigs, humor, movies, and TV appearances were famous, but the induction refocused attention on her ability to write songs that lasted across decades.

The honor recognized work such as “Coat of Many Colors,” “Jolene,” and “I Will Always Love You.” It also reminded the industry that beneath the public image was a disciplined songwriter, and that same year she would turn her hometown identity into a business empire.