DOLLY'S HOMETOWN
Most
southern towns have statues of confederate
soldiers, but in Sevierville, TN they honor Sevier County's world famous
recording TV & movie star - Dolly Parton.
Dolly
was born in nearby Locust Ridge on January 19, 1946, to Lee and Avie Lee
Parton and grew up in the shadow of her beloved Smoky Mountains with her
11 brothers and sisters. Dolly was appearing regularly on WSEV radio in
Sevierville before she was ten years old and was also a regular on a Knoxville
television program, "The Cas Walker Show." Dolly left for Nashville the
day after she graduated from high school to become an international star;
she has received numerous awards for her many talents including gold records,
Grammy Awards and Academy Award nominations.
A
statue of Dolly sculpted by local artist Jim Gray decorates the lawn of
Sevierville's courthouse, and Dolly herself unveiled the statue on May
2, 1987, while her proud parents looked on. In 1986, she opened her Dollywood
entertainment park in neighboring Pigeon Forge. She comes home each April
for the park's seasonal Grand Opening and makes several other appearances
in the area during the year. Many of Dolly's family members still live
in the Sevierville area, and several of them, including her brother Randy,
perform regularly at Dollywood. |