A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, (e.g. a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)).

In some countries, the highest degree in a given field is referred to as a terminal degree, although this is by no means universal (the phrase is not in general use in the UK, for example), practice varies from country to country, and a distinction is sometimes made between terminal professional degrees and terminal research degrees (such as the J.S.D., or S.J.D.).

The term ''doctorate'' comes from the Latin ''docere,'' meaning "to teach."

The "licentiate" degree shortened from the full Latin title ''licentia docendi'', means "teaching licence".

History

The doctorate (Latin: ''doceo,'' I teach) appeared in medieval Europe as a license to teach (Latin: ''licentia docendi'') at a medieval university. Its roots can be traced to the early church when the term "doctor" referred to the Apostles, church fathers and other Christian authorities who taught and interpreted the Bible. This right remained a bone of contention between the church authorities and the slowly emancipating universities, but was granted by the pope to the University of Paris in 1213 where it became a universal license to teach (''licentia ubiquie docendi''). has been rejected by Tony Huff as unsubstantiated.

The usage and meaning of the doctorate has changed over time, and it has also been subject to regional variations. For instance, until the early 20th century few academic staff or professors in English-speaking universities held doctorates, except for very senior scholars and those in holy orders. After that time the German practice of requiring prospective lecturers to have completed a "research doctorate" became widespread. Additionally, universities' shifts to "research oriented" education increased the importance of the doctorate. Today such a doctorate is generally a prerequisite for pursuing an academic career, although not everyone who receives a research doctorate becomes an academic by profession. Many universities also award "honorary doctorates" to individuals who have been deemed worthy of special recognition, either for scholarly work or for other contributions to the university or to society.

Although the research doctorate is almost universally accepted as the standard qualification for an academic career, it is a relatively new invention.

The older-style doctorates (now usually called "Higher Doctorates" in the United Kingdom) take much longer to complete, since candidates must show themselves to be leading experts in their subjects. These doctorates are now less common in some countries, and are often awarded honoris causa. The habilitation is still used for academic recruitment purposes in many countries within the EU and involves either a new long thesis (a second book) or a portfolio of research publications. The habilitation demonstrates independent and thorough research, experience in teaching and lecturing and, more recently, the ability to generate funding within the area of research. The "habilitation" is regarded as a senior post-doctoral qualification, many years after the research doctorate, and can be necessary for a Privatdozent (in Germany) or professor position.

A similar system traditionally holds in Russia. Already in the Russian Empire the academic degree ''doctor of science'' (doktor nauk) marked the highest academic degree which can be achieved by an examination. This system was generally adopted by the USSR/Russia and many post-Soviet countries.

Types of doctorates

:''See Doctor (title) for more information.'' Since the Middle Ages, there has been considerable evolution and proliferation in the number and types of doctorates awarded by universities throughout the world, and practices vary from one country to another. While a doctorate usually entitles one to be addressed as "doctor," usage of the title varies widely, depending on the type of doctorate earned and the doctor's occupation.

Broadly speaking, doctorates may be loosely classified into the following categories:

Research doctorates

Research doctorates are awarded in recognition of academic research that is (at least in principle) publishable in a peer-refereed academic journal. In many countries, including the United States, earning a research doctorate also requires successful completion of a regimen of coursework beyond the masters level. The best-known degree of this type is that of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D., or sometimes D.Phil) awarded in many countries throughout the world. Others include the degree of Doctor of Education, various doctorates in engineering (such as the US (also Japanese and South Korean) Doctor of Engineering, the UK Engineering Doctorate and the German Engineering Doctorate ''Doktor-Ingenieur'' and the German degree of ''Doctor rerum naturalium'' (Dr.rer.nat.).

Criteria for award of research doctorates vary somewhat throughout the world, but typically requires the submission of a substantial body of original research undertaken by the candidate. This may take the form of a single thesis or dissertation, or possibly a portfolio of shorter project reports, and will usually be assessed by a small committee of examiners appointed by the university, and often an oral examination of some kind. In some countries (such as the US) there may also be a formal taught component, typically consisting of graduate-level courses in the subject in question, as well as training in research methodology.

The minimum time required to complete a research doctorate varies by country, and may be as short as three years (excluding undergraduate study), although it is not uncommon for a candidate to take up to ten years to complete.

In UK an equivalent formation to doctorate is the QCF 8.

=== Higher doctorates ===

In some countries, especially the United Kingdom, Ireland, and some Scandinavian, Commonwealth nations, or former USSR and other Eastern Bloc countries, there is a higher tier of research doctorates, awarded on the basis of a formally submitted portfolio of published research of a very high standard. Examples include the Doctor of Sciences (DSc/ScD) and Doctor of Letters (DLitt/LittD) degrees found in the UK, Ireland and some Commonwealth countries, and the traditional doctorates in Denmark and Norway, including ''Dr. Theol.'' (Theology), ''Dr. Jur''. (Law), ''Dr. Med.'' (Medicine) and, after Denmark and Norway introduced the Ph.D. at a lower level, ''Dr. Phil(os).''. The Danish and Norwegian titles should not be confused with German doctorates. Similarly, the British title of Doctor of Medicine is a higher doctorate and should not be confused with the American MD degree, which is an entry-level professional degree.

The French, German and Polish habilitation (a formal professorial qualification with thesis and exam) is commonly regarded as belonging to this category. However, in some German states, the Habilitation is not an academic degree, but rather a professorial certification ("facultas docendi") that the person concerned holds all the qualifications needed to teach independently at a German university. In other German states, the "Habilitand" is awarded a formal "Dr. habil." degree. In some cases where such degree is awarded, the regarding person may add "habil." to his or her research doctorate such as "Dr. phil. habil." or "Dr. rer. nat. habil." The French academical system used to have a higher doctorate, called "State doctorate" (''doctorat d'État'') but it was supersed by the habilitation in 1984.

In Sweden, a title roughly corresponding to the Habilitation is Docent. This was also commonly used in Poland but as of 2005 was changed to a formal "Dr hab." (''doktor habilitowany'') degree. See below (Poland section) for more details.

Higher doctorates are often also awarded honoris causa when a university wishes to formally recognize an individual's achievements and contributions to a particular field.

Professional doctorates

Professional doctorates are awarded in certain fields where scholarly research is closely aligned with a particular profession, such as law, medicine, or psychology. Examples include the US and Canadian degrees of Medicinae Doctor (M.D.), Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.), Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.), Juris Doctor (J.D.) and Doctor of Optometry (O.D.), and the Czech and Slovak degrees of Doctor of Medicine (MUDr. – Medicinae Universae Doctor) and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (MVDr. – Medicinae Vetenariae Doctor).

Professional doctorates originated in the United States, with the introduction of the MD at Columbia University in 1767, or almost 100 years before a research doctorate (that is, a PhD) was awarded in that country, at Yale in 1861. The JD was introduced in 1870, just a few years after the PhD.

The term ''Professional Doctorate'' is used to refer to research doctorates with a focus on applied research, or research as used for professional purposes. Among others, these include the degrees of Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), Doctor of Education (Ed.D), Doctor of Public Administration (DPA), Doctor of Biblical Studies (D.B.S.), Doctor of Occupational Therapy (O.T.D.), Doctor of Practical Theology (DPT), Doctor of Professional Studies (DPS or DProf), Doctor of the Built Environment (DBEnv) and some others in various specified professional fields.

In Australia, the term is also applied to the SJD, while that degree is also categorized as a research degree.

Honorary doctorates

When a university wishes to formally recognize an individual's contributions to a particular field or philanthropic efforts, it may choose to grant a doctoral degree ''honoris causa'' (i.e., "for the sake of the honor"), the university waiving the usual formal requirements for bestowal of the degree. Some universities do not award honorary degrees, for example, Cornell University, the University of Virginia, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology).

Country-specific practice

Argentina

In Argentina the doctorate (''doctorado'') is the highest academic degree. The intention is that candidates produce true and original contributions in a specific field of knowledge within a frame of academic excellence. The doctoral candidate's work is presented in a dissertation or thesis prepared under the supervision of a tutor or director, and reviewed by a Doctoral Committee. The Committee is composed of examiners external to the program, and at least one examiner external to the institution. The academic degree of Doctor is conferred after a successful defense of the candidate’s dissertation. Currently, there are approximately 2,151 postgraduate careers in the country, of which 14% were doctoral degrees. Doctoral programs in Argentina are overseen by the National Commission for University Evaluation and Accreditation, which is a decentralized agency in Argentina’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

Denmark

In Denmark there are four levels of degrees: 1) a three-years Bachelor's Degree (fx ''Bachelor of Arts'' = B.A.); 2) a two-years Candidate's Degree (fx ''candidatus/candidata magisterii'' = cand.mag.), respectively a three-years extended research graduation, leading to the Magister's Degree (fx ''magister/magistra artium'' = mag.art.), the latter of which has recently been phased out in order to meet the international standards of the Bologna Process – both the ''cand.mag.'' and the ''mag.art.'' are generally compared to a Master's Degree (MA); 3) a Ph.D. Degree (ph.d.), which replaced the licentiate in 1988, and finally; 4) a Doctors Degree (fx ''doctor philosophiae'' = dr.phil.), which is the higher doctorate.

For the Ph.D., the candidate writes a major thesis and has to defend it orally at a formal disputation. In the disputation, the candidate defends his or her thesis against three official opponents as well as opponents from the auditorium ''(ex auditorio)''.

For the higher doctorate, the candidate writes a major thesis and has to defend it orally at a formal disputation. In this disputation, the candidate (called ''præces'') defends his thesis against two official opponents as well as opponents from the auditorium ''(ex auditorio)''.

Finland

In the Finnish education system, the requirement for the entrance into the doctoral studies is a Master's degree or equivalent qualification. All universities have the right to award doctorates in their assigned fields. The ''ammattikorkeakoulu'' institutes (institutes of higher vocational education that are not universities but often called "Universities of applied sciences" in English) do not award doctoral or other academic degrees. The aim of the studies for the doctoral degree is threefold:

# The student must obtain sublime understanding of their field and its meaning to the society, while becoming prepared to use the methods of scientific or scholarly study in their field, creating new scientific or scholarly knowledge. # The student must obtain a good understanding of development, basic problems and research methods of their field # The student must obtain such understanding of the general theory of science and letters and such knowledge of the neighbouring research field that they are able to follow the development of these fields.

The way to show that these general requirements have been met is also threefold:

# The graduate coursework required by the university. # a show of critical and independent thought in the research field # preparation and a public defence of a dissertation, which may be a monograph or a compilation thesis, i.e. a collection of peer-reviewed articles with an extended summary. In the area of fine arts, the dissertation may be substituted by artistic merits and performances as decided by the degree-awarding faculty.

In Finland, the entrance into the graduate studies is not as controlled as in undergraduate studies, where a strict numerus clausus is applied. Usually, a prospective graduate student discusses his plans with a professor of his choice. If the professor wishes to accept the student, the student applies the faculty for a study place. Nonetheless, in some cases, the professor may recruit the student to his group after a successful completion of a master's thesis, for instance. In any case, a formal graduate study place does not guarantee funding. The student must obtain funding either by working in a research unit or through scholarships handed out by private foundations. Typically, it is easier to obtain funding for graduate studies in natural and engineering sciences, while graduate studies in letters are more difficult to finance. Sometimes, it may be possible to combine normal work and research activity.

Prior to introduction of Bologna process, Finland required at least 42 credit weeks (1800 hours) of formal coursework of doctoral students. The general requirement was removed in 2005, leaving the decision on the scale of coursework needed to individual universities, which may delegate the authority to faculties and even to individual professors. In fields of Engineering and Science, the required amount of coursework varies between 60 and 70 ECTS.

The time for the completion of graduate studies varies, as there are no fixed time limits written into the law or to most university regulations. It is possible to graduate even in three years after the master's degree, while much longer periods are by no means uncommon. In any case, the study ends with the completion of a dissertation, which must make a substantial contribution to the field by presenting new scientific or scholarly knowledge. The dissertation can either be a monograph or it can be edited from a collection of 3 to 7 journal articles, including an introduction tying together the individual parts. If a student is unable or unwilling to write a dissertation, he may qualify for licentiate degree of his field by completing the coursework requirement and writing a shorter thesis, usually worth of one year of research.

After the dissertation is ready, it is submitted to the faculty, which names two pre-examiners with doctoral degrees from the outside of the university. These pre-examiners must be noted experts of the field. Their acceptance of the work is necessary for the permission to defend the work. During the pre-examination process, the student may receive comments on the work and if necessary, requirements to modify it. After the pre-examiners approve, the doctoral candidate applies the faculty for the permission to print the thesis. Simultaneously with the printing permission, the faculty names the ''opponent'' for the thesis defence, who must also be an outside expert of the field, with at least a doctoral degree. In all Finnish universities, an archaic tradition requires that the printed dissertation must hang on a chord by a public university noticeboard for at least ten days after the printing permission has been given in order for the defence of the dissertation to be possible.

The doctoral dissertation takes place in public, usually in a university auditorium, with the opponent and the candidate conducting a very formal debate, usually wearing white tie, under the supervision of the thesis supervisor. It is customary for the family, friends, colleagues and the members of the research community to attend the defence proceedings. After a formal entrance, the candidate begins the proceeding by a circa 20-minute popular lecture (''lectio praecursoria''), which is meant to introduce the laymen present to the topic of the thesis. After this, the opponent gives a short talk on the topic of the defence, after which the pair critically discusses the dissertation. The proceedings take two, maybe three hours. At the end of the proceeding, the opponent presents his final statement on the work, and reveals whether he/she will recommend that the faculty accept it. After the opponent has finished, any member of the public has an opportunity to raise questions on the dissertation, although such ''opponents extraordinary'' are rare. Immediately after the defence, the supervisor, the opponent and the passed candidate drink coffee with the public. Usually, the attendees of the defence are handed out the printed dissertation and leave with it. In the evening, the passed candidate is obligated to host a dinner () in the honour of the opponent. Usually, the candidate invites his family and colleagues and collaborators.

France

In France, the doctorate (''doctorat'') is always a research-only degree. It is a national degree and its requirements are fixed by an official text of the minister of higher education and research. Except for a very small number of private institutions, only public institutions of higher education and research can award the doctorate. It can be awarded in any field of study. The master's degree is a prerequisite for pursuing a doctoral program. The official normal duration of the doctoral work is three years. The redaction of a comprehensive thesis constitutes the bulk of the doctorate's work. While the length of the thesis varies according to the discipline, it is rarely less than 150 pages, and often substantially more. There are ~15000 new matriculations for the doctoral program every year and ~10000 doctorates awarded.

Doctoral candidates can apply for a three-year fellowship, the most well known being the ''allocation de recherche du ministère de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche'' (4000 granted every years, gross salary of 18,369 euros in February 2007).

During the preparation of the doctorate, the candidate has had, since 2002, to follow a limited number of courses, but there is no written examination for the doctorate. The candidate has to write an extensive thesis which is read by two external reviewers designated by the head of the institution. According to the reports of the reviewer, the head of the institution decides whether the candidate can defend his thesis or not. The members of the jury are designated by the head of the institution and must be composed of external and internal academics. The supervisor of the candidate is generally a member of the jury, as well as the reviewers of the thesis. The maximum number of members in the jury is 8. The defense lasts generally 45 minutes in scientific fields and are followed by 1h – 2h30 of questions from the jury or other doctors present in the assistance. Defense and questions are public. At the end of the series of questions, the jury deliberates in private for 20–30 min and comes back to declare the candidate admitted or "postponed". "Postponement" is very rare. The admission of the candidate is generally followed by a distinction: "honourable", which is not highly considered, "very honourable", which is the usual distinction, and "very honourable with the congratulation of the jury" (Très honorable avec félicitations). Because there exist no national criteria for the award of this last distinction, many institutions have decided not to award it. New regulations concerning this distinction were set in 2006. Many institutions have decided not to award any distinction, as it is now permitted by the law.

Confusingly the title of doctor (''docteur'') is used only by the medical and pharmaceutical practitioners who hold not a doctorate but a doctor's state diploma (''diplôme d'État de docteur''), which is a first-degree and professional doctorate obtained after at least 9 years of studies. As they do not pursue research studies, they are not awarded a doctorate.

Before 1984 three research doctorates existed : the state doctorate (''doctorat d'État'', the old doctorate introduced in 1808), the third cycle doctorate (''doctorat de troisième cycle''), created in 1954 and shorter than the state doctorate, and the diploma of doctor-engineer (''diplôme de docteur-ingénieur''), created in 1923, for technical research. Since 1984, there is only one type of doctoral degree, simply called "doctorate" (''Doctorat''). A special diploma has been created called the "habilitation to supervise research" (''habilitation à diriger des recherches''), which is a professional qualification to supervise doctoral work. (This diploma is similar in spirit to the older state doctorate, and the requirements for obtaining it are similar to those necessary to obtain tenure in other systems.) Before only professors or senior full researchers of similar rank were normally authorized to supervise a doctoral candidate's work. Now the habilitation is a prerequisite to the title of professor in university (''Professeur des Universités'') and to the title of Research Director (''Directeur de recherche'') in national public research agency such as CNRS or INRA.

Germany

In Germany, a doctorate is usually a research doctorate. Its duration depends strongly on the field in which it is taken. While a doctorate in medicine may take less than a full-time year to complete, it takes between three and six years in engineering. In Germany, most doctorates are awarded with specific designations for the field of research instead of a general "PhD" for all fields, the most important ones being: ''Dr. rer. nat.'' (Doctorate in Natural Sciences, i.e. Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Maths, Psychology often also Computer Science and Information Technology), ''Dr. phil.'' (Doctorate of philosophy, i.e. the humanities like Philosophy, philology, History, and social sciences like sociology or Psychology), ''Dr. iur.'' (Doctorate in Law), ''Dr. rer. oec.'' (Doctorate in Economics), ''Dr. rer. pol.'' (Doctor Rerum Politicarum, aka Doctorate in Political Science), ''Dr. med.'' (Doctorate in Medicine), ''Dr.-Ing.'' (Doctorate in Engineering). There are over fifty such specific designations, many of which are highly specialized and rarely awarded. The degree can be written in front of the first name for addresses (within texts, the abbreviations "Dr." and "Dr.-Ing." are common) and accompanies the person's name (unlike in German-speaking Switzerland, where some doctoral programs issue a PhD). Although the "Dr." does not become part of a person's name one can demand naming the title in official documents. However, naming the title even in these documents is not mandatory. The "Dr." (but not the specification of the field) is commonly used to address someone with this title for instance in formal letters. If someone holds other titles, as in "Prof. (Professor) Dr. Dr.-Ing. [Surname]", it is common to use only the highest title in formal letters, as in "Prof. [Surname]".

Upon the completion of the habilitation thesis (''Habilitationsschrift'') a different type of a doctorate (Dr. habil. or only: habil.) is awarded. This doctorate is known as the Habilitation. It is not considered a formal degree but an additional academic qualification. It qualifies the owner to teach at (German) universities ("facultas docendi"), plus the holder of the "habil." can apply for the authorization to teach a certain subject ("venia legendi"). This has been the traditional prerequisite for attaining the title ''Privatdozent'' (PD) and employment as a Professor at universities. With the introduction of ''Juniorprofessoren'' – around 2005 in Germany – as an alternative track towards becoming a professor at universities (with tenure), this has changed partially, and the Habilitation is no longer the only career track at universities.

India

In India doctorate level degrees are offered by the universities or institutions of national level importance deemed to be universities. Entry requirements for doctorate degrees by most of the universities include good academic background at masters level(post graduate degree). Some universities also consider undergraduate degrees in professional areas such as engineering, medicine or law for entrance to doctorate level degrees. Entrance examinations are held for almost all the universities for admission to doctoral level degrees. The duration of the coursework and thesis for award of the degree is (In most north Indian universities the minimum required time to submit your theses after registration is 2 academic years and in most of the universities in south India its 3 years after PhD registration .

. The most commonly awarded doctoral level degree is Ph.D. There are some other doctoral level degrees such as DBA ( Doctorate of Business Administration), DIT ( Doctorate of Information Technology), LLD (Doctorate in Laws) and D.Sc (Doctorate in Science). Some of the institutions of the national level importance such as Indian Institute of Management call their doctoral level programmes as fellow programme. Recently Pharmacy Council of India has permitted few colleges for Pharm D course (Doctorate in Pharmacy).

Italy

According to the ''European Higher Education Area Academic Degrees'' stated by the Bologna Process and to the ''Ministero dell'Educazione Pubblica'' (MIUR), Italy uses the three levels degree system. The first level degree, called "laurea triennale" (''Bachelor's degree'') is obtained after three years of study and a short thesis on a specific subject. The second level degree, called "laurea magistrale" (''Master's degree'') is obtained after two additional years of study, specializing in a particular branch of the chosen subject (e.g. particle physics, nuclear engineering, etc.). This degree requires a more complex thesis work, usually involving some academic research or an internship in a private company. The final degree is called "dottorato di ricerca" (''Ph.D.'') and is obtained after three years of academic research on the subject and a thesis.

Alternatively, after obtaining the ''laurea triennale'' or the ''laurea magistrale'' one can attend a "Master" (first-level Master after the ''laurea triennale''; second-level Master after the ''laurea magistrale'') of one or two years, offered by universities and private organisations with a variety of subjects, lengths and costs and usually including a final internship in a private company. An Italian "Master" is not to be confused with a Master degree; it is intended to be more focused on professional training and practical experience than standard degrees.

The title for Bachelor Graduate students is, regardless from the field of study, ''Dottore/Dottoressa'' (abbrev. ''Dott.''/''Dott.ssa'', sometimes incorrectly abbreviated as ''Dr.'', meaning Doctor), not to be confused with the title for the PhD level graduate, which instead is ''Dottore/Dottoressa di Ricerca''. A ''laurea magistrale'' grants instead the title of ''Dottore/Dottoressa magistrale''. Graduates from the fields of Education, Art and Music are also called ''Dr. Prof.'' (or simply ''Professore'') or ''Maestro''. On the other side, many professional titles like ''ingegnere'' (engineer) are not automatically awarded upon the graduation on the corresponding field of study but instead are given upon passing a post graduation examination (''esame di stato''), and the subsequent registration in the relative professional association.

Japan

Doctorate by way of dissertation

Until the 1990s, most doctorates in the natural sciences and engineering in Japan were earned by industrial researchers in Japanese companies. These degrees are awarded by the employees' former university, usually after many years of research in industrial laboratories. No matriculation is necessary, only submission of a dissertation with some articles published in well-known journals . This program, called , represented the majority of engineering doctoral degrees from national universities. With the expansion of university-based doctoral programs called , however, the proportion of these degrees earned is decreasing. By 1994, more doctoral engineering degrees were earned for research within university laboratories (53%) than industrial research laboratories (47%). Since 1978, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) provides tutorial and financial support for promising researchers in Asia and Africa to earn their PhD degrees through this route. The program is called JSPS RONPAKU.

Professional Doctorate

The only professional doctorate in Japan is the Juris Doctor. In Japan the J.D. is known as ''Homu Hakushi'' (法務博士) and has replaced the bachelor of law as the first entry law degree. The program generally lasts three years. This curriculum is professionally oriented, but unlike in the United States the program does not provide the education sufficient for a license, as all candidates for a license must attend the Legal Training and Research Institute.

The Netherlands / Flanders

The traditional academic system of The Netherlands provides four basic academic diplomas and degrees: ''propaedeuse'', ''candidate'', ''doctorandus'' (drs.) and ''doctor'' (dr.). After successful completion of the first year of University, the student is awarded the propaedeutic diploma (not a degree). The kandidaat ''candidate'' degree, which was all but abolished by 1989, used to be attained after four or five years of academic study, after which the student was allowed to begin work on his doctorandus thesis. The successful completion of this thesis allows one to use the ''doctorandus'' title, attainment of which means one's initial studies are finished. In addition to these 'general' degrees, a number of specific titles for certain subjects are available, each of which is equivalent to the ''doctorandus'' degree: for law: meester ('master') (mr.), and for engineering: ingenieur ('engineer')(ir.).In the last few years, the Dutch have incorporated the Anglo-Saxon system of academic degrees into their own. The old candidate's degree has been revived as bachelor's degree, the doctorandus' by the master's degree.

Those who choose to can enroll in a doctorate system after achieving a masters degree (or equivalent) recognised by the Dutch government. The most common way is to be hired as ''promovendus'' (research assistant with additional courses and supervision), perform extensive research, and write a doctoral dissertation (this course is normally four years, although the average duration to completions is about 5.5 years). It is also possible to conduct research without the research assistant status, for example through a business sponsored research laboratory, or in spare time. Regardless of the way, every thesis has to be supported by a promotor (full university professor who has the role of principal advisor) before it can be submitted. The written thesis is subjected to review by a committee of experts in the relevant academic field; who either approve or do not approve the submitted thesis. Failures at this stage are rare as the supervisors will hold back submission (causing delay beyond the 4 years) rather than allow a substandard thesis to be submitted. The supervisors, and especially the promotor lose face with her/his colleagues allowing a substandard thesis to be submitted; thus gaining supervisor approval is in practice the more demanding requirement. After approval by the reviewers, the candidate will print typically 100-300 copies of the thesis and send that to colleagues, friends and family with an invitation to the public defense. The doctoral degree is awarded in a formal, public, defense session (failure during this session is in theory possible but in practice this never happens). The defense last exactly the assigned time slote (45 minutes or 1 hour exactly depending on the University) after which the defense is stopped by the pedel who interrupts ongoing questioning by entering the room and announcing that the time is past in Latin (Hora Est). At this stage the candidate is allowed to stop the defense even midsentence, although in practice a short one sentence wrap up is usually given. If one of the examiners is still phrasing a question, no answer will be given.

The doctor title is the highest academic degree one can attain in the Netherlands. There is only one title "doctor", which is equivalent to PhD. However, the three Dutch universities of technology (Eindhoven University of Technology, Technical University Delft, and University of Twente) do award a Professional Doctorate in Engineering (PDEng).

In the Netherlands, although the title doctor (dr.) is informally called PhD, there is no such thing as a PhD degree; there is the title doctor (dr.) instead of PhD. Seeing that all other university titles (BSc/BBa/LL.B/BA M.Sc/MBA/LL.M/MA) are protected by law but PhD is not it follows that any person can call himself PhD in the Netherlands without having obtained that title. Calling oneself "Doctor" without having a doctorate ''is'' fraud though. For people who obtained a degree in a foreign country to be allowed to use the Dutch title drs. mr. ir. or dr. a request has to be made at the ''Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs'' though according to the opportunity principle there is little incentive to punish such fraud. Dutch doctors may use the letter D behind their name instead of the shortcut dr. before their name.

Those who have multiple doctor (dr.) titles may use dr.mult. before their own name. Those who have received honoris causa doctorates may use dr.h.c. before their own name.

In Flanders (the Dutch-speaking region of Belgium) the system is very similar, except the doctorandus title was only awarded to those who actually started their doctoral work. Doctorandus is still used as a synonym for a PhD student. The licentiaat (licencee) tittle was in use for a regular graduate until the Bologna reform changed the kandidaat to bachelor and licentiaat to master.

Pakistan

Research Degrees are PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) awarded after extensive research work. To get admission in PhD you must be admitted to the MPhil program for which you need to pass NTS or GRE and should have good grades throughout your career. Exemption from MPhil is possible if you have MS from a reputable University.

Professional Degree / Terminal Degree is awarded in Pharmacy i.e. Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD, a five (5) year course of study) which requires accreditation of the School / Faculty of Pharmacy by Pakistan Pharmacy Council. It is the only Professional Degree in Pharmacy awarded in Pakistan replacing Bachelor of Pharmacy degree ( a four (4) year course of study.

Poland

The Polish system is similar to the one adopted in Germany, with Ph.D. as a first level doctorate and habilitation (''habilitacja'') as second. The award of the title of ''doktor'' (Ph.D.) is usually preceded by 4–5 years of doctoral study (a post-graduate study offered at most universities, during which candidate is employed by this university and is usually obligated to teach some classes) and a doctoral exam. Doctoral studies usually consist of seminars, lectures, research and teaching. In order to become a ''doktor habilitowany'' (i.e. to be awarded a second level doctorate) a candidate has to publish a dissertation that is the culmination of several years of deep field studies, as well as have a recognized research record. While, according to current Polish law, candidates without habilitation are theoretically eligible to become professors, in practice it is extremely rare. Since 1993 only Master of Science holders are allowed to become a doctor, while prior to that time it was possible (but rare) to gain doctorate without MSc studies (for example Stefan Banach).

First, a prospective doctor must have published some works (articles, books). To become a doctor one needs to go through the process called doctoral proceedings (''przewód doktorski''). This proceedings include the writing of a dissertation (varying in length), which then must be accepted by a panel of professors during a so-called ''defence of the dissertation'' (''obrona pracy doktorskiej''). There are several other requirements, like passing an exam in a foreign language and subject related to the dissertation title.

The title of a first level doctor is abbreviated as ''dr'' (without a full stop) before the surname of a person, e.g. ''dr Kowalski'' and a second level ''dr hab.''. After becoming a doctor ''mgr'' is omitted, e.g. ''mgr'' → ''dr'', ''mgr inż.'' → ''dr inż.''.

''Doktor'' is also a common form of addressing a physician, but that does not indicate that the person actually holds a doctoral degree. Doctors of medicine have the abbreviation ''dr n. med.'' (doctor of medical studies) before or after their surname.

Other specific doctoral titles include ''dr inż.'' (doctor of engineering) and ''dr n. farm'' (doctor of pharmaceutical studies). ''Dr n.hum.'' means doctor of humanities (incl. psychology and sociology), but is rarely used to differentiate from doctors of other fields. All other doctorates have no indications of their field.

Portugal

Doutor (Doctor)

All doctoral programs are of research nature. Usually 3 or 4 years of study are required, mostly as a period of research. The student must write his (or her) thesis presenting a new discovery or original contribution to Science. If approved by his/her "supervisor", the study will be presented to a panel of distinguished scholars. If approved, he or she will receive the doctorate.

Title "Dr." and "Doutor"

In Portugal and in the African Countries of Portuguese Official Language it is common to use the title "Dr." (supposedly the abbreviation of "Doutor") in reference to people with "Licenciatura" or "Mestrado" degrees. Thus "Doutor" is commonly used in the extended form to denote someone with a doctorate. "Professor Doutor" is used with professional career teaching doctorates, usually university professors).

Before the Bologna Process reform, a "Licenciatura" was something between a Bachelor ("Bacharelato" in Portugal) and it represented 4 to 6 years of graduate studies.

After the Bologna Process reform in Portugal, the new "Licenciatura" degree is equivalent to the old "Bacharelato" (Bachelor with 3 or 4 years). There are also the "Mestrado" (Master degree) and the "Mestrado Integrado" (integrated Bachelor and Master degree with 5 or 6 years, required for access to some professional fields). Some professionals have, however, different titles. For example: "Eng." (Engenheiro, such as the Master of Engineering), "Arq." (Arquitecto, Architect). The term "Dr." in Portugal is used for people from other professional fields.

Russia

Many post-Soviet countries, including Russian Federation, have a two-stage research degree obtaining path, generally similar to the doctorate system in Europe. The first stage is named ''"Kandidat(Кандидат наук) of <...> Sciences"'' (literal translation means "Candidate of Sciences",) (for instance, Kandidat of Medical Sciences, of Chemical Sciences, of Philological Sciences, and so on). The Kandidat of Sciences degree is usually recognised as an equivalent of Philosophy Doctor (Ph.D.) degree and requires at least (and typically more than) three, four or five years of post-graduate research which is finished by defence of Dissertation or rarely - thesis. Additionally, a seeker of the degree has to pass three examinations (a so-called "Kandidate's minimum"): in his/her special field, in a foreign language, and in the history and philosophy of science. After additional certification by the corresponding experts, the Kandidat degree may be recognized internationally as an equivalent of Ph.D. (An unconditional Ph.D. equivalence has been recognized before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the additional certification in many countries has become required after the steep increase flow of post-Soviet emigration.) The second stage, Doktor nauk, ''"Doctor of <...> Sciences"''. It requires many years of research experience and writing of a second dissertation. The degrees of Kandidat and Doktor of Sciences are only awarded by the special governmental agency (Higher Attestation Commission); a university or a scientific institute where the thesis was defended can only recommend to award a seeker the sought degree.

Spain

Doctor degrees are regulated by Royal Decree (R.D. 778/1998), ''Real Decreto'' (in Spanish). They are granted by the University on behalf of the King, and its Diploma has the force of a public document. The Ministry of Science keeps a National Registry of Theses called TESEO. According to the National Institute of Statistics (INE), less than 5% of M.Sc. degree holders are admitted to Ph.D. programs.

All doctoral programs are of research nature. A minimum of 5 years of study are required, divided into 2 stages:

# A 3-year long period of studies, which concludes with a public dissertation presented to a panel of 3 Professors. If the project receives approval from the university, he/she will receive a "Diploma de Estudios Avanzados" (part qualified doctor, equivalent to M.Sc.). # A 2-year (or longer) period of research. Extensions may be requested for up to 10 years. The student must write his thesis presenting a new discovery or original contribution to Science. If approved by his "thesis director", the study will be presented to a panel of 5 distinguished scholars. Any Doctor attending the public defense is allowed to challenge the candidate with questions on his research. If approved, he will receive the doctorate. Four marks can be granted: Unsatisfactory (''Suspenso''), Pass (''Aprobado''), Remarkable (''Notable''), "Cum laude" (''Sobresaliente''), and "Summa cum laude" (''Sobresaliente Cum Laude''). Those Doctors granted their degree "Summa Cum Laude" are allowed to apply for an "Extraordinary Award".

A Doctor degree is required in order to apply to a teaching position at the University.

The social standing of Doctors in Spain is evidenced by the fact that only Ph.D. holders, Grandees and Dukes can take seat and cover their heads in the presence of the King.

Complutense University was the sole university in Spain authorized to confer the Doctor degree on any scholar. This law remained in effect until 1954, when the authorization was extended to the University of Salamanca in commemoration of its septecentenary. This made the degree of Doctor all the more unique and prestigious in social circles. In 1970, the right was extended to all Spanish universities, ending the monopoly of Complutense University over this distinction.

All Doctorate Degree holders are reciprocally recognized as equivalent in Germany and Spain ("Bonn Agreement of November 14, 1994").

United Kingdom

All doctorates (except for those awarded ''honoris causa'') granted by British universities are research doctorates in the sense described above, in that their main (and in many cases only) component is the submission of a thesis or portfolio of original research, examined by an expert panel appointed by the university. The Quality Assurance Agency (for England, Wales and Northern Ireland but not Scotland) states:

Even the relatively new 'vocational doctorates' such as the EngD, EdD, DSocSci, DCrimJ and DClinPsych require the submission of a body of original research of a similar length to a PhD thesis. In the case of the EngD, however, this might be in the form of a portfolio of technical reports on different research projects undertaken by the candidate as opposed to a single, long monographical thesis. Another important difference is that traditional PhD programs are mostly academic-oriented and normally require full-time study at the university, whereas, in an EngD program, the candidate typically works full-time for an industrial sponsor on application-oriented topics of direct interest to the partner company and is jointly supervised by university faculty members and company employees.

The PhD itself is a comparatively recent introduction to the UK, dating from 1917. It was originally introduced in order to provide a similar level of graduate research training as was available in several other countries, notably Germany and the USA. Previously, the only doctorates available were the higher doctorates, awarded in recognition of an illustrious research career.

The universities of Oxford, Sussex and Buckingham denote the degree of Doctor of Philosophy with the postnominal initials DPhil. The University of York also did this for some years, switching to the more conventional PhD quite recently.

In UK the Doctorate is a qualification awarded at NVQ level 5 or QCF level 8 in the national qualifications framework. http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/qualification-and-assessment-framework/89-articles/250-explaining-the-national-qualifications-framework

Higher doctorates in the United Kingdom

Higher doctorates are awarded in recognition of a substantial body of original research undertaken over the course of many years. Typically the candidate will submit a collection of work which has been previously published in a peer-refereed context and pay an examination fee. The university then assembles a committee of academics both internal and external who review the work submitted and decide on whether the candidate deserves the doctorate based on the submission.

Most universities restrict candidacy to graduates or academic staff of several years' standing. The most common doctorates of this type are those in Divinity (DD), Laws (LLD), Civil Law (DCL), Music (DMus or MusD), Letters (DLitt or LittD) and Science (DSc or ScD). Note, however, that the doctorate in medicine (MD or DMed) in most British universities is a research doctorate by thesis, and is shorter than a PhD (usually 2 years (pro rata for full time) rather than 3 for a PhD), and is awarded by a Faculty of Medicine. In order to be eligible to apply for an MD degree in the UK one must already hold a entry level medical degree (MBBS, MBChB, BMed, or an American MD). In the University of London, the consequent gap in higher doctorates is filled with the degree of DSc(Med), which ranks with the LLD, DMus, etc.

Of these, the DD historically ranked highest, theology being the senior faculty in the mediaeval universities. The degree of Doctor of Canon Law was next in the order of precedence, but (except for a brief revival during the reign of Mary Tudor) did not survive the Protestant reformation, a consequence of the fact that the teaching of canon law at Cambridge and Oxford was forbidden by Henry VIII, founder of the Church of England. The DMus was, historically, in an anomalous situation, since a candidate was not required to be a member of Convocation (that is, to be a Master of Arts). The DLitt and DSc are relatively recent innovations, dating from the latter part of the 19th century.

Honorary doctorates in the United Kingdom

Most British universities award degrees ''honoris causa'' in order to recognise individuals who have made a substantial contribution to a particular field. Usually an appropriate higher doctorate is used in these circumstances, depending on the achievements of the candidate. However, some universities, in order to differentiate between honorary and substantive doctorates, have introduced the degree of Doctor of the University (DUniv) for these purposes, and reserve the higher doctorates for formal academic research.

United States

Research doctorates in the United States

The most common research doctorate is the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). This degree was first awarded in the U.S. at the 1861 Yale University commencement. The University of Pennsylvania followed shortly thereafter in 1871, while Cornell (1872), Harvard (1873), and Princeton (1879) also followed suit. Unlike the introduction of the professional doctorate M.D., there was considerable controversy and opposition over the introduction of the Ph.D. into the U.S. educational system, even through the 1950s, as it was seen as an unnecessary artificial transplant from a foreign educational system (that of Germany), which corrupted a system based on the Oxbridge model of England.

The requirements for obtaining Ph.D.s and other research doctorates in the U.S. typically entail successful completion of pertinent classes, passing of a comprehensive examination, and defense of a dissertation.

The mean number of years to completion of doctoral degrees for all fields in the US is seven. Students are often discouraged from taking unnecessarily long to graduate by having their financial support (stipends, research funds, etc.) relinquished and/or by being required to re-take comprehensive exams. Furthermore, doctoral applicants were previously required to have a master's degree, but many programs will now accept students immediately following their undergraduate studies. Many programs simply gauge the potential of a student applying to their program and will give them a master's degree upon completion of the necessary Ph.D course work. When so admitted, the student is expected to have mastered the material covered in the masters degree even though the student does not officially hold a masters degree. Once the person has finished Ph.D qualifying exams he/she is considered a Ph.D candidate, and may begin work on his/her dissertation.

The International Affairs Office of the U.S. Department of Education lists over 20 frequently awarded research doctorate degree titles accepted by the National Science Foundation (NSF) as representing degrees equivalent in content and level to the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree. They are:

Doctor of Arts (D.A./D. Arts), Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), Doctor of Church Music (D.C.M.), Doctor of Canon Law (J.C.D./D.C.L.), Doctor of Design (D.Des.), Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng./D.E.Sc./D.E.S.), Doctor of Fine Arts (D.F.A.), Doctor of Health Science (D.H.Sc.), Doctor of Hebrew Letters (D.H.L.), Doctor of Industrial Technology (D.I.T.), Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D./S.J.D.), Doctor of Management (D.M.), Doctor of Music (D.M.), Doctor of Musical/Music Arts (D.M.A./A.Mus.D./D.Mus.A.), Doctor of Music Education (D.M.E.), Doctor of Modern Languages (D.M.L.), Doctor of Nursing Science (D.N.Sc.), Doctor of Occupational Therapy (O.T.D.) Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Doctor of Public Administration (D.P.A.), Doctor of Physical Education (D.P.E.), Doctor of Public Health (Dr.P.H.), Doctor of Sacred Theology (S.T.D.), Doctor of Biblical Studies (D.B.S.), Doctor of Science (D.Sc./Sc.D.), Doctor of Social Work (D.S.W.), and Doctor of Theology (Th.D.).

Professional doctorates in the United States

In the United States numerous fields of study have professional doctorates, such as law, education, medicine, teaching, naturopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, advanced practice registered nurse, optometry, chiropractic, pharmacy, physical therapy, psychology, health science, public health and many others that usually require such degrees for licensure. Some of these degrees are also termed "first professional degrees," since they are also the first degree in their field.

Professional doctorates were developed in the United States in the 19th century during a movement to improve the training of professionals by raising the requirements for entry and completion of the degree necessary to enter the profession. These first professional degrees were created to help strengthen professional training programs. The first professional doctorate to be offered in the United States was the M.D. in 1767 by Columbia University which was nearly one hundred years before the first Ph.D. was awarded in the U.S. in 1861. The Juris Doctor (J.D.) was subsequently established by Harvard University for the same reasons that the M.D. was established. A six year Doctor of Pharmacy is awarded as the Terminal/Professional degree in Pharmacy replacing BS in Pharmacy. It is the only Professional Pharmacy Degree awarded in the US and the Pharmacy School needs accreditation of American Council on Pharmacy Education (ACPE)

Recently there has been a trend for introducing professional doctorates in other fields as well, including the Doctor of Audiology in 2007. Advanced Practice Registered Nurses are expected to completely transition to the Doctor of Nursing Practice by 2015 and physical therapy to the Doctor of Physical Therapy by 2020.

Physician

Profession !! Professional doctorate in the United States !! First awarded
	|	Medicinae Doctor and Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)	1767
	Osteopathic Physician	Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)
	Chiropractic Physician	Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.)
	Dentist	Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S) and Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.)
	Occupational Therapy	Doctor of Occupational Therapy (O.T.D.)
	Physical Therapy	Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T)
	Podiatrist	Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.)
	Pharmacist	Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD),(PD),(DrPh)and(DPh)
	Government	Doctor of Public Administration (D.P.A.)
	Veterinarian	Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) and Veterinariae Medicinae Doctoris (V.M.D.)
	Advanced Practice Registered Nurse	Doctor of Nursing Practice>Doctor of Nursing Practice or Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNP or DNAP)
	Optometrist	Doctor of Optometry (O.D.)
	Audiologist	Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.)
	Attorney	Juris Doctor and Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.)
	Physician Assistant	Doctor of Science Physician Assistant (DScPA)
	Health Science	Doctor of Health Science (D.H.Sc.)
	Public Health	Doctor of Public Health (Dr.PH.)
	Minister/Clergy	Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.), Doctor of Practical Theology (D.P.T. or D.Th.P.) or Doctor of Biblical Studies (D.B.S)
	Psychologist	Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.)
	Law and Policy	Doctor of Law and Policy (L.P.D.)
	College Teaching	Doctor of Arts (D.Arts/D.A.)
	Management	Doctor of Management (D.Mgt.)
	Management	Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership (DM)
	Management	Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership/Information Systems Technology (DM/IST)

See also

List of fields of doctoral studies

First professional degree

Eurodoctorate

Compilation thesis

References

ar:دكتوراه cy:Doethuriaeth da:Doktorgrad de:Promotion (Doktor) fa:دکترا fr:Doctorat hu:Doktorátus it:Dottorato nl:Doctoraat ja::博士号 no:Doktorgrad pt:Doutoramento si:ආචාර්ය උපාධි sl:Doktorat sv:Promotion (ceremoni) tr:Doktora

playername	Gary Neville
fullname	Gary Alexander Neville
dateofbirth	February 18, 1975
cityofbirth	Bury, Greater Manchester
countryofbirth	England
height
position	Right-back
youthyears1	1991–1992 |youthclubs1 Manchester United
years1	1992–2011 |clubs1 Manchester United |caps1 400 |goals1 5
nationalyears1	1995–2007 |nationalteam1 England |nationalcaps1 85 |nationalgoals1 0 }}

Gary Alexander Neville (born 18 February 1975) is a former English footballer. He is England's most capped right-back and was Manchester United's club captain for five years.

Neville spent his entire playing career at Old Trafford, making him a rare one-club man. At the time of his retirement in 2011, he was United's second longest serving player in the squad, behind his long-time team-mate Ryan Giggs.

He made his international debut in 1995 and was first-choice right-back for club and country for more than ten years.

He is the brother of Premier League footballer and Everton captain Phil Neville, who was also a Manchester United player (from 1993 until 2005). His sister Tracey Neville plays netball for England, his mother Jill is a receptionist for Bury.

Manchester United

The older of the Neville brothers joined Manchester United as an apprentice upon leaving school in 1991, and captained the youth side to FA Youth Cup glory in his first season. He made his senior debut for United in September 1992 against Torpedo Moscow in the UEFA Cup. Neville emerged as part of Alex Ferguson's youth-oriented side of the 1990s (nicknamed ''Fergie's Fledglings'', an updated take on the 1950s equivalent ''Busby Babes'') that included his brother Phil, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes. In the 1994–95 season, he became first-choice right-back when Paul Parker was ruled out by injury, and has remained so ever since, although in his first season as a regular player he often found himself on the sidelines as Denis Irwin was switched to right back with Lee Sharpe (normally a winger) filling the left-back role.

He formed a partnership with Beckham on the right wing, regularly contributing assists.

Following Roy Keane's departure in November 2005, Neville was appointed the new captain.

In January 2006, his actions were the subject of some controversy after his celebration in front of the visiting Liverpool fans at Old Trafford, when he was seen to run from the half-way line towards the opposing fans to celebrate the 90th minute injury-time winning headed goal by United defender Rio Ferdinand. His actions were criticised by Liverpool and fellow England defender Jamie Carragher, sections of the media and police who blamed him for disturbances between fans after the game. He was subsequently charged with improper conduct by The Football Association. Neville contested this, asking if it was preferable for players to act like "robots" and show no emotions. He was fined £5,000 and warned about his future conduct.

Neville won eight Premier League titles, three FA Cups, two European Cups, an Intercontinental Cup, a FIFA Club World Cup, and one League Cup, the last of which was his first trophy as captain.

Neville recovered from an injury suffered against Bolton Wanderers in March 2007 and in his first match back, a reserve game against Everton in January 2008, he scored a rare goal in the 21st minute of the game which helped Manchester United to a 2–2 draw.

On 9 April 2008, Neville made his long-awaited comeback against Roma in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg at Old Trafford as an 81st-minute substitute for Anderson. Neville was welcomed back to the pitch with a standing ovation, and was promptly given the captain's armband. It was Neville's 99th Champions League appearance. However, he was not selected for the European Cup final squad on 21 May, though he did join in with the post-match celebrations after United won on penalties following a 1–1 draw with Chelsea. Instead, Rio Ferdinand and Giggs lifted the trophy together having shared the captaincy during Neville's absence.

Neville started his first game in seventeen months when he captained Manchester United for the 2008 FA Community Shield against Portsmouth on 10 August 2008. He then made another start against Zenit St. Petersburg in the UEFA Super Cup, before making his first start at home since his injury against Villarreal in the opening group game of the UEFA Champions League 2008–09. On 21 September 2008, Neville started his first league game in almost 18 months when he played against Chelsea. Neville extended his stay at Old Trafford until June 2010.

On 27 October 2009, Neville was sent off for a tackle on Adam Hammill in United's 2–0 away win against Barnsley in the League Cup Fourth Round. He has played in an unfamiliar role at centre back due to a long-term injury to Rio Ferdinand and various minor injuries to Nemanja Vidić and Jonny Evans.

Neville added another medal to his honours list on 28 February 2010 when he came on as a substitute in the League Cup final win over Aston Villa. He did feature in enough league games to qualify for what would have been his ninth title medal, but United were beaten to the Premier League title by Chelsea who finished ahead of them by a single point.

Having made only sporadic appearances in the last couple of seasons, Neville stepped down as team captain in September 2010 in preference of a more-regular first-team player, usually Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidić or Patrice Evra, although he remained as club captain off the pitch.

His first squad number at Manchester United was number 27, which was issued to him when squad numbers were launched in the Premier League for the 1993–94 season. For the 1995–96 season, however, he was issued with the number 20 shirt which had been vacant since the departure of Dion Dublin the previous autumn. A year later however, the departure of Paul Parker enabled Neville to take up the number 2 shirt which he has held ever since.

On 2 February 2011, Neville announced his retirement from football after almost 20 years playing at Manchester United. Neville's final professional appearance was against West Bromwich Albion on New Year's Day 2011, a 2–1 victory at The Hawthorns.

His testimonial was played at Old Trafford against Juventus on 24 May 2011. Manchester United's starting line-up included members of the "Class of '92": Neville was joined by his brother Phil, Beckham, Butt, Scholes and Giggs. Juventus won the match 2–1. He made another appearance in Paul Scholes' testimonial at Old Trafford on 5 August 2011, playing for the New York Cosmos in their first fixture since their re-establishment in 2010.

International career

Neville made his first appearance for England in 1995 when he was picked by Terry Venables for the friendly against Japan. On 23 May 1996, he was joined in the England team by his brother Phil Neville for a match against China; they had also appeared together in the 1996 FA Cup Final two weeks earlier and thus were the first pair of brothers to play together in an FA Cup-winning side and for England in the same season since Hubert and Francis Heron in 1877, 119 years earlier.

He was subsequently selected at right back for his country by five different coaches. The form of Manchester City's Micah Richards, Liverpool's Glen Johnson and Neville's Manchester United team-mate Wes Brown placed his position in the England team under threat in the latter years of his career.

He had been the youngest first choice player in the England first team during Euro 96, his first tournament, playing in each game until the semi-final, when he was suspended and England were subsequently knocked out by eventual winners, Germany. He also played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000. A broken foot put paid to his hopes of playing the 2002 FIFA World Cup, but he quickly returned to the side after regaining his fitness, and was once again the first choice right back by the time of Euro 2004.

Neville missed the latter stages of the qualification campaign for the 2006 World Cup with injury. He returned to the England team in March 2006 for a friendly against Uruguay.

Neville was selected for England's 2006 World Cup squad. He played in England's opening Group B game against Paraguay but pulled his calf in training the night before the team's second game and was forced to miss the next three games until playing the full match in England's losing quarter-final against Portugal on 1 July. It was his 81st England cap, bringing him up to ninth in the all-time rankings, ahead of Gary Lineker and team-mate Michael Owen, who had briefly drawn level with Neville during the World Cup.

Neville briefly took over the England captaincy during this game after the substitution of David Beckham due to an injury shortly after half-time, despite the previous match's deputy captain John Terry also being on the field.

After the defeat to Portugal, Neville announced that he would continue to be available for selection for his country under new coach Steve McClaren and added that, unlike some former international team-mates, he would not ever make the decision to retire from the England set-up, stating: ''"That decision is not Gary Neville's to make"''. As one of three club captains (along with Terry and Steven Gerrard) in the first choice England line-up, he was mentioned as a contender for the England captaincy which Beckham vacated after elimination from the World Cup. However, he was clearly an outsider and Terry was given the job and Steven Gerrard made vice-captain.

On 11 October, Neville was involved in a game-changing incident during a Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia when his straightforward backpass took an unfortunate bounce and caused goalkeeper Paul Robinson to miss his kick, which resulted in the ball ending up in the net. Although Robinson was at the centre of the moment, Neville was officially credited with an own goal, the second of his England career; he has scored no goals for England.

On 7 February 2007, Neville won his 85th cap in England's 1–0 friendly defeat to Spain. His appearance took him to within one cap of equalling Sansom's record for an England full back, and eighth in the all-time appearances list for his country. However, an ankle injury suffered on 17 March 2007 while playing for Manchester United robbed him of the chance to equal Sansom's record, as he was forced to miss the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Andorra on 24 March and 28 respectively. Surgery on his ankle ruled him out of two summer matches at the new Wembley Stadium, and then a calf muscle injury delayed his recovery in the autumn. These injury problems together with a perceived decline in ability threatened to put an end to Neville's international playing career.

On 24 May 2009, Neville was given a surprise recall to the England squad by Fabio Capello for the World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Andorra, but did not feature in any of these games.

Neville holds or co-holds a number of England records:

When he came on as a substitute against Italy at Leeds in 2002, he earned his 51st cap, breaking the record for a right back held previously by Phil Neal.

His 11 appearances for England in the European Championship finals (over three tournaments) is a record.

Neville also holds the record for the most appearances by an outfield player without having scored a goal (other than own goals) for the England team. This less prestigious record was broken in 2004, having previously been held by Ray Wilson.

With his brother Phil, the Nevilles hold the record of England's most capped brothers, with 142 appearances between them. It was Phil's appearance as a substitute against Israel in 2007, a game for which Gary was injured, which broke a record they had jointly held with Jack and Bobby Charlton.

The Nevilles hold outright the record for the most appearances in the same England team by a pair of brothers with 31, although the 31st in 2007 came a whole seven years after the 30th.

Neville wrote in his autobiography that, at times, he had reflected on his international career and thought sometimes that it was "a massive waste of time".

Media

Neville currently writes a weekly full-pager in the Sports section of The Sunday Times of Malta, the widest circulating newspaper of the country, which is home to the oldest recognised Manchester United Supporters' Club.

Personal life

Neville married Emma Hadfield on 16 June 2007 and their first child, daughter Molly, was born on 11 January 2009. Their second daughter, Sophie, was born on 25 March 2010.

In July 2009, he was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Bolton for his outstanding contributions to football.

In January 2010 it was reported that Neville has applied for planning permission to build an eco-friendly home, which would be the first zero-carbon house in north west England. Neville's testimonial game was reported to be the most eco-friendly game in English football history.

Career statistics

0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Club	Season	League	Cup	League Cup	!colspan="2"	Other	Total
!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
rowspan="19"	Manchester United		0	|	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0
1993–94 FA Premier League	1993–94	1	|	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	0
1994–95 FA Premier League	1994–95	18	|	4	0	3	0	2	0	0	0	27	0
1995–96 FA Premier League	1995–96	31	|	6	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	39	0
1996–97 FA Premier League	1996–97	31	|	3	0	1	0	10	0	1	0	46	1
1997–98 FA Premier League	1997–98	34	|	3	0	0	0	8	0	0	0	45	0
1998–99 FA Premier League	1998–99	34	|	7	0	0	0	12	0	1	0	54	1
1999–2000 FA Premier League	1999–2000	22	|	–		0	0	9	0	4	0	35	0
2000–01 FA Premier League	2000–01	32	|	2	0	0	0	14	0	1	0	49	1
2001–02 FA Premier League	2001–02	34	|	2	0	0	0	14	0	1	0	51	0
2002–03 FA Premier League	2002–03	26	|	3	0	5	0	10	1	0	0	44	1
2003–04 FA Premier League	2003–04	30	|	4	0	1	0	7	0	0	0	42	2
2004–05 FA Premier League	2004–05	22	|	4	0	1	0	7	1	1	0	35	1
2005–06 FA Premier League	2005–06	25	|	3	0	5	0	4	0	0	0	37	0
2006–07 FA Premier League	2006–07	24	|	3	0	0	0	6	0	0	0	33	0
2007–08 Premier League	2007–08	0	|	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0
2008–09 Premier League	2008–09	16	|	2	0	3	0	4	0	4	0	29	0
2009–10 Premier League	2009–10	17	|	1	0	4	0	6	0	0	0	28	0
2010–11 Premier League	2010–11	3	|	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
Total	!400!!5!!47!!0!!25!!0!!117!!2!!13!!0!!602!!7

''Statistics accurate as of match played 1 January 2011''

|- |1995||6||0 |- |1996||10||0 |- |1997||7||0 |- |1998||8||0 |- |1999||3||0 |- |2000||7||0 |- |2001||8||0 |- |2002||5||0 |- |2003||7||0 |- |2004||12||0 |- |2005||4||0 |- |2006||7||0 |- |2007||1||0 |- !Total||85||0 |}

Honours

Club

Premier League (8): 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2008–09

FA Cup (3): 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04

Football League Cup (2): 2005–06, 2009–10

FA Community Shield (3): 1996, 1997, 2008

UEFA Champions League (1): 1998–99

Intercontinental Cup (1): 1999

FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008

Individual

PFA Team of the Year: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2005, 2007

Overall Team of the Decade – Premier League 10 Seasons Awards (1992/3 – 2001/2)

Notes

References

Further reading

External links

Profile at ManUtd.com

Profile at StretfordEnd.co.uk

Category:1975 births Category:Living people Category:People from Bury Category:English footballers Category:England international footballers Category:England under-21 international footballers Category:Association football fullbacks Category:Premier League players Category:Manchester United F.C. players Category:UEFA Euro 1996 players Category:1998 FIFA World Cup players Category:UEFA Euro 2000 players Category:UEFA Euro 2004 players Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players

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playername	MS Dhoni
country	India
fullname	Mahendra Singh Dhoni
nickname	Mahi
living	true
dayofbirth	7
monthofbirth	7
yearofbirth	1981
placeofbirth	Ranchi, Bihar (now in Jharkhand)
countryofbirth	India
heightft	5
heightinch	9
batting	Right-hand batsman
bowling	Right-hand medium
role	Wicket-keeper, India captain
international	true
testdebutdate	2 December
testdebutyear	2005
testdebutagainst	Sri Lanka
testcap	251
lasttestdate	10 July
lasttestyear	2011
lasttestagainst	West Indies
odidebutdate	23 December
odidebutyear	2004
odidebutagainst	Bangladesh
odicap	158
lastodidate	2 April
lastodiyear	2011
lastodiagainst	Sri Lanka
odishirt	7
club1	Bihar
year1	1999/00–2004/05
club2	Jharkhand
year2	2004/05-present
club3	Chennai Super Kings
year3	2008–present
columns	4
column1	Test
matches1	58
runs1	3,066
bat avg1	38.32
100s/50s1	4/21
top score1	148
deliveries1	78
wickets1	0
bowl avg1	–
fivefor1	–
tenfor1	–
best bowling1	–
catches/stumpings1	166/25
column2	ODI
matches2	186
runs2	6,094
bat avg2	48.78
100s/50s2	7/38
top score2	183*
deliveries2	12
wickets2	1
bowl avg2	14.00
fivefor2	–
tenfor2	–
best bowling2	1/14
catches/stumpings2	181/60
column3	FC
matches3	99
runs3	5,228
bat avg3	36.55
100s/50s3	7/35
top score3	148
deliveries3	48
wickets3	0
bowl avg3	–
fivefor3	–
tenfor3	–
best bowling3	–
catches/stumpings3	74/44
column4	LA
matches4	242
runs4	8,051
bat avg4	48.50
100s/50s4	13/49
top score4	183*
deliveries4	39
wickets4	2
bowl avg4	18.00
fivefor4	–
tenfor4	–
best bowling4	1/14
catches/stumpings4	248/75
date	27 July
year	2011
source	http://www.cricinfo.com/india/content/player/28081.html Cricinfo }}

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, , (born 7 July 1981, in Ranchi, Bihar, now in Jharkhand) is an Indian cricketer and the current captain of the Indian national cricket team.

Initially recognised as an extravagantly flamboyant and destructive batsman, Dhoni has come to be regarded as one of the coolest heads to captain the Indian ODI side. Under his captaincy, India won the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, CB Series of 2007–08, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2008 and 2010 against Australia 2–0 and 2011 World Cup in which India beat every previous world cup winning team. His Test, ODI record is best among all the Indian captains to date. He also captained Chennai Super Kings to victory in the recent 2011 IPL and in the Champions League. He is now captain of India in all three forms of the game and also led the team to their first ever bilateral ODI series wins in Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Under Dhoni's captaincy India became the first team after a gap of more than 20 years to whitewash Australia in a Test series. Dhoni also led the Indian team to the number one position in ICC rankings in Test cricket for the first time. Dhoni has also been the recipient of many awards including the ICC ODI Player of the Year award in 2008 and 2009 (the first Indian player to achieve this feat), the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award and the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honour in 2009. In 2009 Dhoni topped the list of world’s top 10 earning cricketers compiled by Forbes. He was named as the captain of ICC World Test and ICC ODI teams for 2009. In the final of the 2011 Cricket World Cup, he hit 91 not out of just 79 balls to lead India to victory. For his outstanding batting in the final, he was awarded as the man of the match. The TIME magazine added him in its "Time 100" list of 100 most influential people of 2011. According to the SportsPro magazine Dhoni is 10th most valuable brand in field of sports worldwide and number 1 among all Asian superstars.

Personal life

Mahendra Singh Dhoni was born in Ranchi, Bihar (now in Jharkhand) in a Rajput family to Pan Singh and Devaki Devi. His paternal village Lvali is in the Lamgarha block of the Almora District of Uttarakhand. Dhoni's parents, moved from Uttarakhand to Ranchi where Pan Singh worked in junior management positions in MECON. Dhoni has a sister Jayanti and a brother Narendra. Dhoni had long hair which he has now shortened; he cut it because he wanted to look like his favourite film star John Abraham(actor). He likes bikes. A Hummer to add to the four cars and 23 high-speed motorcycles already parked in his garage in Ranchi. He endorses 15 brands from clothes to cold Drinks. He is also one of the highest income tax payers in last year Dhoni is a fan of Adam Gilchrist, and his childhood idols were cricket teammate Sachin Tendulkar, Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan and singer Lata Mangeshkar.

Dhoni studied at DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali,(now the school is known as JVM, Shyamli, Ranchi) Ranchi, Jharkhand where he initially excelled in badminton and football and was selected at district and club level in these sports. Dhoni was a goalkeeper for his football team and was sent to play cricket for a local cricket club by his football coach. Though he had not played cricket, Dhoni impressed with his wicket-keeping skills and became the regular wicketkeeper at the Commando cricket club (1995–1998). Based on his performance at club cricket, he was picked for the 1997/98 season Vinoo Mankad Trophy Under-16 Championship and he performed well. Dhoni focused on cricket after his 10^th standard.

Dhoni married Sakshi (née Rawat) on 4 July 2010. Sakshi Dhoni, a native of Dehradun, Uttarakhand. At the time of their marriage, she was studying Hotel Management and was working as a trainee at the Taj Bengal, Kolkata. Both, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sakshi Rawat were school time friends and had studied together at DAV School, Shamily in Ranchi and their families also have very good relation. Father of Dhoni worked with Sakshi’s father in MECON, Ranchi. After the retirement of Sakshi’s father, their family shifted to their native place, Dehradun.

The wedding stumped the media and the fans as it took place only a day after the couple got engaged. Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu, a close friend of Dhoni, was quick to inform the media that the wedding was planned for months and was not a spur of the moment decision.

Playing style

Dhoni is a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper. Dhoni is one of the number of wicket-keepers who have come through the ranks of junior and India A cricket teams to represent the national team — Parthiv Patel, Ajay Ratra and Dinesh Karthik also followed this route. Dhoni, referred to as 'Mahi' by his friends, debuted in the Bihar cricket team during the 1998/99 cricket season and was selected to represent India-A for a tour to Kenya in 2004. Along with Gautam Gambhir, Dhoni made multiple centuries against the Pakistan-A team in a tri-nation series and was selected in the Indian national team later in that year.

Dhoni tends to play mostly from the back foot with a pronounced bottom hand grip. He has a very fast hand speed through the ball which often results in the ball racing across the ground. From this initial stance his feet do not show much movement which sometimes results in chasing balls while not coming to the pitch of the ball or to some deliveries catching the inside edge.

Dhoni scored 148 against Pakistan in his fifth ODI match in 2005 — then the highest score by an Indian wicketkeeper. Later in the year, he broke his own record as well as set the current world record for the highest score in the second innings in ODI matches as he scored 183* against Sri Lanka. Dhoni's success in the limited overs format secured him a place in the test team. Consistent performances in ODI cricket through the end of the 2005/06 season saw Dhoni briefly ranked as the No. 1 batsman in the ICC ODI ratings. The shot that he plays is fondly called "The Helicopter Shot".

Dhoni's form dipped through 2006 as India lost matches at the ICC Champions trophy, DLF Cup, away bilateral series against West Indies and South Africa. A return to form in the home series against West Indies and Sri Lanka in early 2007 proved to be an inaccurate indicator of Dhoni's form as India crashed out of the first round in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Dhoni was out for a duck in both India's losses. After the World Cup, Dhoni won the Man of the series award in the bilateral ODI tournament against Bangladesh. For the tour of England, Dhoni was named the ODI team vice-captain.

Domestic career

Junior cricket

Dhoni was included in the Bihar U-19 squad for the 1998/99 season and scored 176 runs in 5 matches (7 innings) as the team finished fourth in the group of six and did not make it to the quarter finals. Dhoni was not picked for the East Zone U-19 squad (CK Nayudu Trophy) and Rest of India squad (MA Chidambaram Trophy and Vinoo Mankad Trophy). Bihar U-19 cricket team advanced to the finals of the 1999–2000 Cooch Behar Trophy where Dhoni made 84 to help Bihar post a total of 357. Bihar's efforts were dwarfed by Punjab U-19's 839 with Dhoni's future national squad teammate Yuvraj Singh making 358. Dhoni's contribution for the tournament included 488 runs (9 matches, 12 innings), 5 fifties, 17 catches and 7 stumpings. MS Dhoni made it to the East Zone U-19 squad for the CK Nayudu trophy but scored only 97 runs in four matches as East Zone lost all four matches and finished last in the tournament.

Bihar team

Dhoni made his Ranji Trophy debut for Bihar in the 1999–2000 season as an eighteen year old. He made a half century in his debut match scoring 68* in the second innings against Assam cricket team. Dhoni finished the season with 283 runs in 5 matches. Dhoni scored his maiden first-class century against Bengal in the 2000/01 season in a losing cause. Apart from the century, his performance in the 2000/01 did not include another score over fifty and in 2001/02 season he scored just five fifty in each season in four Ranji matches. Dhoni's performance for the 2002/03 season in the Ranji Trophy included three half centuries in the Ranji Trophy and a couple of half-centuries in the Deodhar Trophy competition as he started winning recognition for his lower-order run contribution as well as hard hitting batting style.

In the 2003/04 season, Dhoni scored a century (128*) against Assam in the first match of the Ranji ODI trophy. He was part of the East Zone squad that won the Deodhar Trophy for the year and contributed with 244 runs in 4 matches. In the Duleep Trophy finals, Dhoni was picked over International cricketer Deep Dasgupta to represent East zone. He scored a fighting half century in the second innings in a losing cause.

The future captain was discovered via the BCCI's small-town talent-spotting initiative TRDW. Dhoni was discovered by TRDO PC Podar, captain of Bengal in the 1960s, when he saw Dhoni play for Jharkhand at a match in Jamshedpur in 2003, and sent a report to the National Cricket Academy.

India A team

He was recognised for his efforts in the 2003/04 season, especially in the ODI format and was picked for the India A squad for a tour of Zimbabwe and Kenya. Against the Zimbabwe XI in Harare Sports Club, Dhoni had his best wicket-keeping effort with 7 catches and 4 stumpings in the match. In the tri-nation tournament involving Kenya, India 'A' and Pakistan 'A', Dhoni helped India 'A' chase their target of 223 against Pakistan 'A' with a half-century. Stressing on his performance, he scored back to back centuries – 120 and 119* against the same squad. Dhoni scored 362 runs in 7 matches (6 innings, Ave:72.40), and his performance in the series received attention from the then captain – Sourav Ganguly and Ravi Shastri amongst others. However, the India 'A' team coach Sandeep Patil recommended Karthik for a place in the Indian squad as wicket-keeper/batsman.

Indian Premier League

M.S.Dhoni was contracted by the Chennai Super Kings for 1.5 Million USD. This made him the most expensive player in the IPL for the first season Auctions which was closely followed by Andrew Symonds. Dhoni is the present captain of the Chennai Super Kings team.

ODI career

The Indian team in the 2000s saw the use of Rahul Dravid as the wicket-keeper to ensure that the wicket-keeper spot didn't lack in batting talent. The Indian cricket establishment also saw the entry of wicket-keeper/batsmen from the junior ranks with talents like Parthiv Patel and Dinesh Karthik – both India U-19 Captains in the test squads. With Dhoni making a mark in the India-A squad, he was picked in the ODI squad for the Bangladesh tour in 2004/05. Dhoni did not have a great start to his ODI career, getting run out for a duck on debut. In spite of an average series against Bangladesh, Dhoni was picked for the Pakistan ODI series. In the second match of the series, Dhoni in his fifth one-day international, scored 148 in Vishakapatnam off only 123 deliveries. Dhoni's 148 surpassed the earlier record for the highest score by an Indian wicketkeeper, a record that he would re-write before the end of the year.

Dhoni had few batting opportunities in the first two games of the Sri Lankan bilateral ODI series (October–November 2005) and was promoted to No. 3 in the third ODI at Sawai Mansingh Stadium (Jaipur). Sri Lanka had set India a target of 299 after a Kumar Sangakkara century and in reply, India lost Tendulkar early. Dhoni was promoted to accelerate the scoring and ended the game with an unbeaten 183 off 145 balls, winning the game for India – an innings described in Wisden Almanack (2006) as 'Uninhibited, yet anything but crude'. The innings set various records including the highest Individual score in ODI cricket in the second innings, a record that still stands. Dhoni ended the series with the highest run aggregate (346) and was awarded the Man of the series award for his efforts. In December 2005, Dhoni was signed by BCCI to a B-grade contract, skipping the initial C-grade level due to his performance on the cricketing field.

India scored 328 in 50 overs with Dhoni contributing 68 in their first match of 2006 against Pakistan. However the team finished poorly, scoring just 43 runs in the last eight overs and lost the match due to Duckworth-Lewis method. In the third match of the series, Dhoni came in with India in a precarious situation and scored 72 runs off just 46 balls that included 13 boundaries to help India take a 2–1 lead in the series. The final match of the series had a repeat performance as Dhoni scored 77 runs off 56 balls to enable India win the series 4–1. In recognition of his consistent ODI performances, Dhoni overtook Ricky Ponting as number one in the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen on 20 April 2006. His reign lasted just a week as Adam Gilchrist's performance against Bangladesh moved him to the top spot.

Two cancelled series in Sri Lanka, one due to the withdrawal of South Africa from the Unitech Cup due to security concerns and the replacement 3-match ODI bilateral series against Sri Lanka washed due to rain, was India's prelude to another disappointing tournament – DLF Cup 2006-07. Dhoni scored 43 runs as the team lost twice in three games and did not qualify for the finals. India's lack of preparation showed in the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy as they lost to West Indies and Australia, though Dhoni scored a half-century against West Indies. The story of the ODI series in South Africa was the same for both Dhoni and India as Dhoni scored 139 runs in 4 matches and India lost the series 4–0. From the start of the WI ODI series, Dhoni had played 16 matches, hit just two fifties and averaged 25.93. Dhoni received criticism on his wicket keeping technique from former wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani.

Preparations for the 2007 Cricket World Cup improved as India recorded identical 3–1 victories over West Indies and Sri Lanka and Dhoni had averages in excess of 100 in both these series. However, India unexpectedly crashed out the World Cup after losses to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Dhoni was out for a duck in both these matches and scored 29 runs in the tournament. After the loss to Bangladesh in 2007 Cricket World Cup, the house that Dhoni was constructing in his home-town Ranchi was vandalised and damaged by political activists of JMM. The local police arranged for security for his family as India exited the World cup in the first round.

Dhoni put his disappointment in the World cup behind him by scoring 91* against Bangladesh after India were left in a tight spot earlier in the run-chase. Dhoni was declared the man of the match for his performance, his fourth in ODI cricket. He was also later adjudged the man of the series after the third game of the series was washed away. Dhoni had a good Afro-Asia Cup, getting 174 runs in 3 matches at an average of 87.00, with a blitzkrieg 139 not out of 97 balls, a Man Of The Match innings, in the 3rd ODI.

Dhoni was nominated as the vice-captain of the ODI team for the series against South Africa in Ireland and the subsequent India-England 7-match ODI series. Dhoni, who received a 'B' grade contract in December 2005, was awarded an 'A' grade contract in June 2007. And also he was elected as captain of Indian Twenty-20 Cricket Team for the World Twenty20 in September 2007. On 2 September 2007 Mahendra Singh Dhoni equalled his idol Adam Gilchrist's international record for the most dismissals in an innings in ODI by catching 5 English players and stumping one. He led India to the ICC World Twenty 20 trophy in South Africa with a victory over arch rivals Pakistan in an intensely fought final on 24 September 2007, and became the second Indian captain to have won a World cup in any form of cricket, after Kapil Dev. Dhoni took his first wicket and ODI wicket on 30 September 2009. He bowled Travis Dowlin from the West Indies. During the series between India and Australia, Dhoni hit an aggressive 124 runs in just 107 balls, in the second ODI, and a measured knock of 71 runs in 95 balls, along with Yuvraj Singh, saw India home by 6 wickets, in the third ODI.

Dhoni topped the ICC ODI Batsman rankings for several months continuously in 2009, it was Hussy from Australia who replaced him for the top spot in the beginning of 2010.

Dhoni had an excellent year in ODIs in 2009 scoring 1198 runs in just 24 innings at an astonishing average of 70.43. Dhoni was also the joint top-scorer in ODIs in 2009 along with Ricky Ponting, but the latter having played in 30 innings.

Test career

Following his good one-day form against Sri Lanka, Dhoni replaced Dinesh Karthik in December 2005 as the Indian Test wicket-keeper. Dhoni scored 30 runs in his debut match that was marred by rain. Dhoni came to the crease when the team was struggling at 109/5 and as wickets kept falling around him, he played an aggressive innings and was the last man dismissed. Dhoni made his maiden half-century in the second Test and his quick scoring rate (half century came off 51 balls) aided India to set a target of 436 and the Sri Lankans were bowled out for 247.

India toured Pakistan in January/February 2006 and Dhoni scored his maiden century in the second Test at Faisalabad. India were left in a tight spot as Dhoni was joined by Irfan Pathan with the team still 107 away from avoiding follow-on. Dhoni played his typical aggressive innings as he scored his maiden test century in just 93 balls after scoring his first fifty in just 34 deliveries. Dhoni followed his maiden test century with some prosaic batting performances over the next three matches, one against Pakistan that India lost and two against England that had India holding a 1–0 lead going into the test match. Dhoni was the top scorer in India's first innings in the third test at Wankhede Stadium as his 64 aided India post a respectable 279 in reply to England's 400. However Dhoni and the Indian fielders dropped too many catches and missed many dismissal chances including a key stumping opportunity of Andrew Flintoff (14). Dhoni failed to collect the Harbhajan Singh delivery cleanly as Flintoff went on to make 36 more runs as England set a target of 313 for the home team, a target that India were never in the reckoning. A batting collapse saw the team being dismissed for 100 and Dhoni scored just 5 runs and faced criticism for his wicket-keeping lapses as well as his shot selections.

On the West Indies tour in 2006, Dhoni scored a quick and aggressive 69 in the first Test at Antigua. The rest of the series was unremarkable for Dhoni as he scored 99 runs in the remaining 6 innings but his wicket-keeping skills improved and he finished the series with 13 catches and 4 stumpings. In the test series in South Africa, Dhoni's scores of 34 and 47 were not sufficient to save the second test against the Proteas as India lost the test series 2–1, squandering the chance to build on their first ever Test victory in South Africa (achieved in the first Test match). Dhoni's bruised hands ruled him out of the third test match.

On the fourth day of the first Test match at Antigua Recreation Ground, St John's, Antigua during India's tour of West Indies, 2006, Dhoni's flick off Dave Mohammed to the midwicket region was caught by Daren Ganga. As the batsman started to walk back, captain Dravid declared the innings when confusion started as the umpires were not certain if the fielder stepped on the ropes and Dhoni stayed for the umpire's verdict. While the replays were inconclusive, the captain of the West Indies side, Brian Lara, wanted Dhoni to walk-off based on the fielder's assertion of the catch. The impasse continued for more than 15 minutes and Lara's temper was on display with finger wagging against the umpires and snatching the ball from umpire Asad Rauf. Ultimately, Dhoni walked-off and Dravid's declaration was effected but the game was delayed, and Lara's action was criticised by the commentators and former players. Lara was summoned by the match referee to give an explanation of his actions but he was not fined.

Dhoni scored two centuries in Sri Lanka's tour of India in 2009, a series of 3 matches in which he led India to a 2–0 victory. With this feat, India soared up to the number 1 position in Test cricket for the first time in history. India scored 726–9 (decl) in the third match of this series, which is their highest Test total ever.

Captain of India

Dhoni was named the captain of India Twenty 20 squad for the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 held in South Africa in September 2007. India were crowned champions as Dhoni led the team to victory against Pakistan in a thrilling contest. He, then went on to become the ODI captain of the Indian team for the seven-match ODI series against Australia in September 2007. He made his debut as full-time Test captain of India during the fourth and final test against Australia at Nagpur in November 2008 replacing Anil Kumble who was injured in the third test and who then announced his retirement. Dhoni was vice-captain in this series up to that point. India eventually won that Test thus clinching the series 2–0 and retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Dhoni had previously captained India on a stand-in basis against South Africa and Australia in 2008 and 2009 respectively.

It was under his captaincy that India climbed to No. 1 in the ICC Test Rankings in December 2009. After that he managed to lead India in a series-levelling world championship of Tests against the South Africans in Feb 2010.

After winning the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup for India against Sri Lanka on 2 April 2011 with his match winning knock of unbeaten 91, Tendulkar heaped praises on Dhoni, claiming him to be the best captain he has played under. Tendulkar mentioned that it was Dhoni's calm influence that was rubbing off on all his team-mates and even under such extreme pressure from every corner the way Dhoni handles it and brings the best out of him was just incredible. Saurav Ganguly also said in an interview to a news channel that Dhoni is the all time greatest captain of India and he has a great record to support this credential.

Two-match ban

Dhoni was handed a two-match ban from playing in the ODI series against Sri Lanka for the team's slow over-rate during the second one-dayer in Nagpur (18 December 2009).

World Cup

Under Dhoni's captaincy, India won the 2011 World Cup. In the final against Sri Lanka, chasing 275, Dhoni promoted himself up the batting order, coming before Yuvraj Singh. When he came to bat India needed more than six runs per over with three top order batsmen already dismissed. He started building a good partnership with Gautam Gambhir. Due to good strokeplay and active running between wickets, they kept up with the required run rate. Dhoni was on 60 off 60 balls, but later accelerated with a greater flow of boundaries, ending with 91 not out off 79 balls. Befitting the occasion, he finished the match with a huge six over long-on off bowler Nuwan Kulasekara.

Later he admitted in the post match presentation that he came up the order so as to counter the Muralitharan spin threat as he was very familiar with Murali's bowling, being his team-mate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings. He had come after the dismissal of Virat Kohli, also a right-handed batsman. By partnering with the left-handed Gambhir, he ensured a right-left combination at the crease that makes it difficult for bowlers to settle into a rhythm.

The bat used by Dhoni in the final match,which got the team winning six was sold for a massive 72 Lac by a England based Indian company. The money goes to Sakshi Rawat Foundation, operated by Dhoni's wife Sakshi Rawat to help orphan children.

Cricket performance

ODI Cricket

style="text-align:left;" style="text-align:left;" style="text-align:left;" style="text-align:left;" style="text-align:left;" style="text-align:left;" 109 style="text-align:left;" style="text-align:left;" style="text-align:left;" style="text-align:left;" style="text-align:left;" style="text-align:left;" style="text-align:left;"156

colspan="10" style="text-align:center;"	ODI career records by opposition
!#!!Opponent!!Matches!!Runs!!Average!!High Score!!100s!!50s!!Catches!!Stumping
1	Africa XI||	3	174	87.00	139*	1	0	3	3
2	Australia||	23	690	43.12	124	1	3	26	9
3	Bangladesh||	9	247	61.75	101*	1	1	9	6
4	Bermuda||	1	29	29.00	29	0	0	1	0
5	England||	18	501	33.40	96	0	3	19	7
6	Hong Kong||	1
7	New Zealand||	9	269	67.25	84*	0	2	7	2
8	Pakistan||	23	920	54.11	148	1	7	22	6
9	Scotland||1|
10	South Africa||	10	196	24.50	107	0	1	7	1
11	Sri Lanka||	38	1514	63.08	183*	2	12	38	9
12	West Indies||	18	499	49.90	95	0	3	16	4
13	Zimbabwe||	2	123	123.00	67*	0	2	0	1
colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"	Total	|	5271	51.67	183*	7	34	151	51

ODI Centuries:

style="text-align:right;" style="text-align:right;" style="text-align:right;" style="text-align:right;" style="text-align:right;" style="text-align:right;" style="text-align:right;"

colspan="7" style="text-align:center;"	ODI centuries
!#!!Runs!!Match!!Against!!Stadium!!City/Country!!Year
1	148||	5	Pakistan national cricket team>Pakistan	ACA-VDCA Stadium	Vishakapatnam, India	2005
2	183*||	22	Sri Lanka national cricket team>Sri Lanka	Sawai Mansingh Stadium	Jaipur, India	2005
3	139*||	74	Africa XI cricket team>Africa XI	MA Chidambaram Stadium	Chennai, India	2007
4	109*||	109	Hong Kong cricket team>Hong Kong	National Stadium, Karachi>National Stadium	Karachi, Pakistan	2008
5	124||	143	Australia national cricket team>Australia	Vidarbha Cricket Association>VCA Stadium	Nagpur, India	2009
6	107||	152	Sri Lanka national cricket team>Sri Lanka	Vidarbha Cricket Association>VCA Stadium	Nagpur, India	2009
7	101*||	156	Bangladesh national cricket team>Bangladesh	Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium	Dhaka, Bangladesh	2010

ODI records

On 31 October 2005 Dhoni scored 183* runs of just 145 balls against Sri Lanka in Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur, which is the highest score made by any batsman in the second innings (surpassing Lara's previous record of 153).

The innings featured 10 Sixes – the most by an Indian in an innings, and the fourth highest in ODI cricket after the 12 scored by Xavier Marshall of the West Indies, and 11 scored by both ST Jayasuriya and Shahid Afridi.

* He broke Adam Gilchrist's record of 172 for the highest score made by a wicket keeper.

* The innings set the record for the most number of runs scored in boundaries (120 – 15x4; 10x6) breaking the record held by Saeed Anwar. However this was later broken by Herschelle Gibbs (126 runs in boundaries – 21x4; 7x6) against Australia during his knock of 175.

* The score of 183* equalled Ganguly's innings during the 1999 Cricket World Cup as the highest individual score against Sri Lanka.

Among Indian batsmen who have played more than 50 matches, Dhoni has the highest average. Dhoni's batting average is also the highest amongst wicketkeepers in ODIs. In June 2007, Dhoni(139*) and Mahela Jayawardene(107) set a new world record for the sixth wicket partnership of 218 runs against Africa XI during the Afro-Asia Cup.

Dhoni passed Shaun Pollock's record for the highest individual score by a number seven batsman in one-day internationals during his unbeaten innings of 139. Incidentally, Pollock record stood for just three days as his score of 130 came in the first match of the 2007 Afro-Asia Cup while Dhoni's century came in the third and final match of the series.

* Dhoni also holds the records of the most dismissals in an innings by an Indian wicketkeeper and joint International (with Adam Gilchrist) with 6 dismissals (5 catches and one stumping) against England at Headlingly 2 September 2007.

* Dhoni holds the Indian record of most dismissals in ODIs. He went past Nayan Mongia's 154 for India on 14 November 2008 when he caught Ian Bell off Zaheer Khan at Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground, Rajkot. However including 3 ODIs against Africa XI, his 155th dismissal was TM Dilshan caught off Munaf Patel at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on 24 August 2008.

Dhoni, when he was on four during his innings of 23 against Sri Lanka at R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on Saturday, completed 4,000 runs in ODIs. Having already effected 165 dismissals (125 catches + 40 stumpings), Dhoni became the sixth wicketkeeper after Adam Gilchrist, Andy Flower, Alec Stewart, Mark Boucher and Kumar Sangakkara to complete the "double" of 4,000 runs and 100 dismissals in the history of ODIs. Dhoni’s feat of completing the "double" of 4,000 runs and 100 dismissals in only 114 innings is a world record. He is the youngest wicket-keeper batsman to do so (27 years and 208 days).

Man of the Series Awards

:{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto 1em auto; text-align:left;" width=70% |- !S No!!Series (Opponents)!!Season!!Series Performance |- |style="text-align:right;"|1||Sri Lanka in India ODI Series||2005/06||346 Runs (7 Matches & 5 Innings, 1x100, 1x50); 6 Catches & 3 Stumpings |- |style="text-align:right;"|2||India in Bangladesh ODI Series||2007||127 Runs (2 Matches & 2 Innings, 1x50); 1 Catches & 2 Stumpings |- |style="text-align:right;"|3||India in Sri Lanka ODI Series||2008||193 Runs (5 Matches & 5 Innings, 2x50); 3 Catches & 1 Stumping |- |style="text-align:right;"|4||India in West Indies ODI Series||2009||182 Runs (4 Matches & 3 Innings with an average of 91); 4 Catches & 1 Stumping |}

Man of the Match Awards: :{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto 1em auto; text-align:left;" width=70% |- style="text-align:center;" !S No!!Opponent!!Venue!!Season!!Match Performance |- |style="text-align:right;"|1||Pakistan||Vishakapatnam||2004/05||148 (123b, 15x4, 4x6); 2 Catches |- |style="text-align:right;"|2||Sri Lanka||Jaipur||2005/06||183* (145b, 15x4, 10x6); 1 Catch |- |style="text-align:right;"|3||Pakistan||Lahore||2005/06||72 (46b, 12x4); 3 Catches |- |style="text-align:right;"|4||Bangladesh||Mirpur||2007||91* (106b, 7x4); 1 Stumping |- |style="text-align:right;"|5||Africa XI||Chennai||2007||139* (97b, 15x4, 5x6); 3 Stumpings |- |style="text-align:right;"|6||Australia||Chandigarh ||2007||50* ( 35 b, 5x4 1x6); 2 Stumpings |- |style="text-align:right;"|7||Pakistan||Guwahati ||2007||63, 1 Stumping |- |style="text-align:right;"|8||Sri Lanka||Karachi ||2008||67, 2 Catches |- |style="text-align:right;"|9||Sri Lanka||Colombo (RPS) ||2008||76, 2 Catches |- |style="text-align:right;"|10||New Zealand||McLean Park, Napier ||2009||84*, 1 Catch & 1 Stumping |- |style="text-align:right;"|11||West Indies||Beausejour Stadium, St. Lucia ||2009||46*, 2 Catches & 1 Stumping |- |style="text-align:right;"|12||Australia||Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur ||2009||124, 1 Catches, 1 Stumping & 1 Runout |- |style="text-align:right;"|13||Bangladesh||Mirpur||2010||101* (107b, 9x4) |- |style="text-align:right;"|14||Sri Lanka||Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai ICC World Cup FInals ||2011||91 Not Out |}

Test cricket

Test performance: style="text-align:left;" style="text-align:left;" style="text-align:left;" style="text-align:left;" style="text-align:left;" style="text-align:left;" style="text-align:left;" style="text-align:left;"42

colspan="10" style="text-align:center;"	Test career records by opposition
!#!!Opponents!!Matches!!Runs!!Average!!High Score!!100s!!50s!!Catches!!Stumpings
1	Australia||	8	448	34.46	92	0	4	18	6
2	Bangladesh||	2	104	104.00	51*	0	1	6	1
3	England||	8	397	33.08	92	0	4	24	3
4	New Zealand||	2	155	77.50	56*	0	2	11	1
5	Pakistan||	5	323	64.60	148	1	2	9	1
6	South Africa||	7	218	27.25	132*	1	1	6	1
7	Sri Lanka||	6	363	60.50	110	2	1	15	1
8	West Indies||	4	168	24.00	69	0	1	13	4
colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"	Total	|	2176	40.29	148	4	16	102	18

Test centuries:

style="text-align:right;" style="text-align:right;" style="text-align:right;" style="text-align:right;"

colspan="7" style="text-align:center;"	Test centuries
!#!!Runs!!Match!!Against!!Stadium!!City/Country!!Year
1	148||	5	Pakistan national cricket team>Pakistan	Iqbal Stadium	Faisalabad, Pakistan	2006
2	110||	38	Sri Lanka national cricket team>Sri Lanka	Sardar Patel Stadium	Ahmedabad, India	2009
3	100*||	40	Sri Lanka national cricket team>Sri Lanka	Brabourne Stadium	Mumbai, India	2009
4	132*||	42	South Africa national cricket team>South Africa	Eden Gardens	Kolkata, India	2010

Man of the Match Awards: :{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto 1em auto; text-align:left;" width=70% |- style="text-align:center;" !S No!!Opponent!!Venue!!Season!!Match Performance |- |style="text-align:right;"|1||Australia||Mohali||2008||92 & 68* |}

Test records

Dhoni's maiden century against Pakistan in Faisalabad (148) is the fastest century scored by an Indian wicket keeper. Only three centuries by two other wicket-keepers (Kamran Akmal and Adam Gilchrist – 2) were faster than Dhoni's 93 ball century. Under Dhoni's captaincy, India defeated Australia by 320 runs on 21 Oct 2008, biggest ever win in terms of runs for India.

Dhoni holds the record for most catches by an Indian player in an innings. He achieved this feat by taking six catches during the first innings of the third test against New Zealand in Wellington in April 2009.

Dhoni also equalled Syed Kirmani's record for most dismissals in an innings by an Indian wicket-keeper. Syed Kirmani has effected 6 dismissals (5 catches and 1 stumping) against New Zealand in 1976. Dhoni now has equalled that record for most dismissals with 6 dismissals (all 6 catches) against New Zealand in 2009.

Dhoni currently ranks third in the all-time dismissals list by Indian wicket-keepers. With the six dismissals in the first innings of the Test match against New Zealand in Auckland,April 2009, Dhoni has now been involved in 109 dismissals. The following is the list of top five Indian wicket-keepers, in terms of all-time dismissals in test matches: Syed Kirmani (198 dismissals), Kiran More (130 dismissals), Dhoni (109 dismissals), Nayan Mongia (107 dismissals) & Farokh Engineer (82 dismissals).

Dhoni is now the second wicketkeeper to have effected 6 dismissals in an innings apart from a fifty in each innings of a Test match. Denis Lindsay had accomplished the feat for South Africa against Australia at Johannesburg in December 1966 – 69 & 182 and 6 ct. + 2 ct.

Under Dhoni's captaincy, India reached their highest test score of 726–9 (decl) during Sri Lanka's tour of India in 2009. Their 2–0 victory in the series took them to the number 1 ranking in Test cricket for the first time in history.

Under Dhoni's captaincy, India did not lose a test match until the first test versus South Africa in Nagpur in Feb 2010. As a captain, he holds a record for longest unbeaten run in tests from his debut, 11 tests (8 wins and 3 draws). This record crossed former Australian captain Warwick Armstrong's run of 10 unbeaten tests (8 wins, 2 draws) from debut. In Dhoni's streak, however, there was a period of injury in which Virender Sehwag led the side (for 3 draws). So India's unbeaten streak was for 14 tests, of which 11 were Dhoni's.

However Dhoni's unbeaten streak of 11 test matches ended during India's tour of England in 2011 and England also replaced India from No.1 spot in ICC Test team rankings.

Honorary Doctorate

Dhoni was awarded a honorary doctorate degree by De Montfort University in August 2011.

Endorsements

MS Dhoni signed with Kolkata-based celebrity management company Gameplan Sports in April 2005. Currently Dhoni has 20 endorsements, only Shahrukh Khan has more (21). In 2007 Dhoni had 17 endorsements. In July 2010, Dhoni tied up with Rhiti Sports Management and Mindscapes and has been promised a minimum guarantee of Rs 210 crore over the next three years.

The following is the list of endorsements signed by Dhoni.

2005: Pepsico, Reebok, Exide, TVS Motors. 2006: Mysore Sandal Soap, Videocon, Reliance Communications, Reliance Energy, Orient PSPO Fan, Bharat Petroleum, Titan Sonata, Brylcream, NDTV, GE Money. 2007: Siyaram. 2008: Fashion at Big Bazaar, Maha Choco, Boost (health food), Dainik Bhaskar 2009: Dabur Honey, Kolkata Fashion Week. Aircel communications, Nova Scottia Premium shirts. 2010: Amrapali

Notes

External links

http://www.dhoniworld.com

http://www.dhonixpress.com

Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:India One Day International cricketers Category:India Test cricketers Category:Indian Test captains Category:Indian cricket captains Category:India Twenty20 International cricketers Category:Indian wicket-keepers Category:Jharkhand cricketers Category:ACC Asian XI One Day International cricketers Category:Cricketers at the 2007 Cricket World Cup Category:Cricketers at the 2011 Cricket World Cup Category:East Zone cricketers Category:World Cup cricketers of India Category:People from Jharkhand Category:Chennai cricketers Category:Recipients of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri Category:People from Ranchi

bn:মহেন্দ্র সিং ধোনি da:Mahendra Singh Dhoni fr:Mahendra Singh Dhoni hi:महेंद्र सिंह धोनी kn:ಮಹೇಂದ್ರ ಸಿಂಘ್ ಧೋನಿ ml:മഹേന്ദ്ര സിങ് ധോണി mr:महेंद्रसिंग धोणी pl:Mahendra Singh Dhoni ta:மகேந்திர சிங் தோனி te:మహేంద్రసింగ్ ధోని

name	Anthony Minghella
birth date	January 06, 1954
birth place	Ryde, Isle of Wight, England
death date	March 18, 2008
death place	London, England
years active	1981–2008
other names	Anthony Minghella CBE
occupation	Director, producer, screenwriter, actor
spouse	Carolyn Choa
children	Max, Hannah }}

Anthony Minghella, CBE (6 January 1954 18 March 2008) was an English film director, playwright and screenwriter. He was Chairman of the Board of Governors at the British Film Institute between 2003 and 2007.

He won the Academy Award for Best Director for ''The English Patient'' (1996), which also won the BAFTA Award for Best Film and Golden Globe Award for Best Director.

Early life

Minghella was born in Ryde, Isle of Wight, the son of Gloria (née Arcari) and Edward Minghella, ice cream factory owners. His father was an Italian immigrant and his mother was born in Leeds to an Italian family; her ancestors originally came from Valvori, a small village in the Lazio region of central Italy.

Minghella attended Sandown Grammar School and St. John's, Portsmouth. He graduated from the University of Hull, where he completed undergraduate and postgraduate courses, but eventually abandoned his doctoral thesis.

Career

His first piece of produced work was a 1975 stage adaptation of Gabriel Josipovici's ''Mobius the Stripper'' and it was his 1985 piece ''Whale Music'' that kickstarted his career. He made his directorial debut with a double bill of Samuel Beckett's ''Play'' and ''Happy Days''. His first feature film as a director was ''A Little Like Drowning'' in 1978.

During the 1980s, he worked in television, starting as a runner on ''Magpie'' before moving into script editing the children's drama series ''Grange Hill'' for the BBC and later writing ''The Storyteller'' series for Jim Henson. He also wrote several episodes of the ITV detective drama ''Inspector Morse'' and an episode of long-running ITV drama ''Boon''. His 1986 play ''Made in Bangkok'' found mainstream success in the West End.

Minghella won radio success with a Giles Cooper Award for his radio drama ''Cigarettes and Chocolate'' first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1988. It was revived on 3 May 2008 as a tribute to its author director following his death. His production starred Juliet Stevenson, Bill Nighy and Jenny Howe. His first radio play ''Hang Up'', starring Anton Lesser and Juliet Stevenson, was revived on 10 May 2008 as part of the BBC Radio 4 Minghella season.

Minghella's 1990 feature ''Truly, Madly, Deeply'', a drama he had written and directed for the BBC's ''Screen Two'' anthology strand, bypassed its expected TV broadcast and received a cinema release. In order to make the film, he had turned down an offer to direct another episode of ''Inspector Morse'', which he had thought would be a much higher-profile assignment.

In 1996, he won the Academy Award for Best Director for ''The English Patient''. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Adapted Screenplay for 1999's ''The Talented Mr. Ripley''.

The pilot episode of the television adaptation of ''The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency'', which he co-wrote and directed, was broadcast on BBC One shortly after his death on 23 March 2008; it was watched by 6.3 million viewers.

He vocally supported ''I Know I'm Not Alone'', a film of musician Michael Franti's peacemaking excursions into Iraq, Palestine and Israel.

He directed a party election broadcast for the Labour Party in 2005. The short film depicted Tony Blair and Gordon Brown working together and was criticised for being insincere: "The Anthony Minghella party political broadcast last year was full of body language fibs", said Peter Collett, a psychologist at the University of Oxford. "When you are talking to me, I'll give you my full attention only if I think you are very high status or if I love you. On that party political broadcast, they are staring at each other like lovers. It is completely false."

He returned to radio drama in 2006 with ''Eyes Down Looking'' on BBC Radio 3, starring Jude Law, Juliet Stevenson and David Threlfall to mark Samuel Beckett's 100th birthday celebrations.

Minghella made his operatic debut directing Puccini's ''Madama Butterfly''. It was first seen at the English National Opera in London in 2005, at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre in Vilnius in March 2006 and at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City in September 2006. The Met's production has been transmitted live into movie theaters worldwide on March 7, 2008 part of the Met's HD series and is now available on DVD. The Anthony Minghella Theatre at the Quay Arts Centre on the Isle of Wight is named in his honour. Minghella also made an appearance in the 2007 film ''Atonement'', playing a television host interviewing the novelist whose role was central to the story. Minghella died the day the film was released on DVD.

Minghella's last work was the screenplay of the film adaptation of the 1982 Tony Award-winning musical ''Nine'', based on the film ''8½'', book by Arthur Kopit, score by Maury Yeston. Minghella worked with Michael Tolkin on the screenplay, with whom he shared credit.

Personal life

Minghella was married to Hong Kong–born choreographer Carolyn Choa. His brother, Dominic Minghella, is the creator of the popular British television series ''Doc Martin'', and a scriptwriter. Minghella's son, Max, is an actor. His daughter Hannah worked as a production assistant on ''The Talented Mr. Ripley'', and is currently President of Sony Pictures Animation. His sister Loretta is Director of Christian Aid, his sister Edana participated in a jazz event on the Isle of Wight, and his nephew Dante is one of the participants in Channel 4's ''Child Genius'' series.

He was a big Portsmouth fan and appeared in the Channel 4 documentary ''Hallowed Be Thy Game''. His home had two double bedrooms dedicated to the display of Portsmouth memorabilia dating back to the club's founding in 1898.

Minghella died of a haemorrhage on 18 March 2008 in Charing Cross Hospital, London, following an operation the previous week to remove cancer of the tonsils and neck.

Filmography

Director

''A Little Like Drowning'' ''Truly, Madly, Deeply'' ''Mr. Wonderful (film) ''The English Patient (film) ''The Talented Mr. Ripley (film) ''Play (2000 film) ''Cold Mountain (film) ''Breaking and Entering (film) ''The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (TV series)

Year	Title	!width="90"	Oscarwins	BAFTAnominations	BAFTA wins
1978	|
1990	|			3	1
1993	Mr. Wonderful'' ||
1996	The English Patient'' ||	12	9	13	6
1999	The Talented Mr. Ripley'' ||	5		7	1
2000	Play'' ||
2003	Cold Mountain'' ||	7	1	13	2
2006	Breaking and Entering'' ||
2008	The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency'' ||

Producer

Year	Title	Notes
2001	Iris (film)>Iris''
rowspan="2"	2002	Heaven (2002 film)>Heaven''
''The Quiet American (2002 film)	The Quiet American''	Executive Producer
2005	''The Interpreter''
rowspan="2"	2006	Catch a Fire (film)>Catch a Fire''
''Breaking and Entering (film)	Breaking and Entering''
2007	Michael Clayton (film)>Michael Clayton''
rowspan="3"	2008	The Reader (2008 film)>The Reader''
''The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (TV series)	The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency''
''Love You More (film)	Love You More''
2011	Margaret (2011 film)>Margaret''

Actor

Year	Title	Role
1978	''A Little Like Drowning''
2007	Atonement (film)>Atonement''

Selected plays

''Whale Music'' (New End Theatre, Hampstead, June 1981); revived for radio, BBC Radio 4, 10 May 2008

''Two Planks And A Passion'' (Greenwich Theatre, November 1984)

''A Little Like Drowning'' (Hampstead Theatre, July 1984)

''Made in Bangkok'' (West End debut as a playwright, Aldwych Theatre. 18 March 1986, director Michael Blakemore)

''Hang Up'' (radio play for BBC Radio 4,1987)

''Cigarettes and Chocolate'' (60-minute radio play for BBC Radio 4, 1988)

''Eyes Down Looking'' (Beckett 100th Birthday tribute, radio play for BBC Radio 3, 1 April 2006)

Awards

1984 Plays and Players: Critics Award – Most Promising Playwright for ''A Little Like Drowning''

1986 Plays and Players: Critics Award – Best New Play for ''Made in Bangkok''

1988 Giles Cooper Award for the radio play ''Cigarettes and Chocolate''

1992 BAFTA Film Award – Best original screenplay for ''Truly, Madly, Deeply'' (1990)

1997 Academy Award – Best director for ''The English Patient'' (1996)

1997 BAFTA Film Award – Best film for ''The English Patient'' (1996) (shared with Saul Zaentz)

1997 Broadcast Film Critics Association Award – Best Director and Best Screenplay for ''The English Patient'' (1996)

1997 Directors Guild of America Award – Outstanding Achievement in Motion Pictures for ''The English Patient'' (1996)

1999 National Board of Review Award – Best Director for ''The Talented Mr. Ripley'' (1999)

2003 National Board of Review Award – Best Adapted Screenplay for ''Cold Mountain'' (2003)

2006 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Opera Production for the English National Opera production of ''Madama Butterfly''

References

Theatre Record and its indexes for play production dates and awards

External links

Media Masterclass with Anthony Minghella on Directing Film

Anthony Minghella: A Life in Pictures, BAFTA webcast, 2 December 2006

Anthony Minghella interview with stv, November 2006

"About Anthony", Minghella Film Festival, Isle of Wight

Anthony Minghella – Obituary and public tribute

''Anthony Minghella, a brother to all he met'' by Dominic Minghella, 24 March 2008

''An Appreciation of Anthony Minghella'' by Charlie Rose, 24 March 2008

''Anthony Minghella, my teacher, my friend'', by Harvey Weinstein, ''The Times'', 10 April 2008

''Anthony Minghella'' remembered by Jude Law , ''The Observer'', Sunday 14 December 2008

musical discovered'', BBC Humberside.

Obituaries:

*BBC, 18 March 2008

*''The Guardian'', 18 March 2008

*''Variety'', 18 March 2008

''The Guardian'', 19 March 2008

*''The Daily Telegraph'', 19 March 2008

*''The Times'', 19 March 2008

*''The Independent'', 19 March 2008

*''The New York Times'', 19 March 2008

*''Los Angeles Times'', 19 March 2008

*''The Washington Post'', 19 March 2008

Tributes

''Minghella Movie Marathon'', BBC, updated 25 March 2009, accessed 22 July 2009.

''Minghella Movie Marathon'', at British Film Institute, accessed 22 July 2009.

''More stars join Minghella marathon'', iwcp.co.uk, 4 March 2009, accessed 22 July 2009.

''Anthony Minghella's family celebrates his memory with film festival'', Syma Tariq, ''The Guardian'', 12 March 2009, accessed 22 July 2009.

Category:English film directors Category:English screenwriters Category:English television writers Category:Opera directors Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:Best Director Academy Award winners Category:Best British Director Empire Award winners Category:Best Director Golden Globe winners Category:Giles Cooper Award winners Category:Laurence Olivier Award winners Category:Alumni of the University of Hull Category:English people of Italian descent Category:People from Ryde Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Deaths from surgical complications Category:Italian British film directors Category:Patrons of schools Category:1954 births Category:2008 deaths Category:Deaths from oral cancer Category:Cancer deaths in England Category:People educated at St John's College (Portsmouth)

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Name	Dolly Parton
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Dolly Rebecca Parton
Birth date	January 19, 1946
Birth place	Sevierville, Tennessee, U.S.
Genre	Country, country pop, bluegrass, ballad
Instrument	Vocals, Guitar, Banjo, Autoharp, Piano, Drums, Appalachian Dulcimer, Harmonica, Pennywhistle, Finger Nails, Recorder, Fiddle, Bass Guitar, Saxophone
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, record producer, actress, author, philanthropist, musician, businesswoman
Degrees	Honorary musical and humane letters doctorate degree from University of Tennessee
Years active	1957–present |label Goldband (1957–59) Mercury Records (1962–64)Monument (1965–67) RCA (1967–86) CBS (1987–95) Rising Tide (1995–97) Decca (1997–98) Sugar Hill (1999–2006) Dolly (2007–present)
Associated acts	Reba McEntire, Porter Wagoner, Kenny Rogers, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Shania Twain, Juice Newton, Stella Parton, The Larkins, Altan, Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley Cyrus, Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, Carrie Underwood
Website	dollypartonmusic.netdollyparton.com }}

Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. She is one of the most successful female country artists of all time, garnering the title of "The Queen of Country Music."

Early years

Dolly Parton was born in Sevierville, Tennessee, the fourth of twelve children born to Robert Lee Parton (March 22, 1921 – November 12, 2000) and Avie Lee Parton (née Owens; October 5, 1923 – December 5, 2003). Robert and Avie's children include:

Willadeene Parton (b. March 24, 1940)

David Wilburn Parton (b. March 30, 1942)

Coy Denver Parton (b. August 16, 1943), who named his first daughter Dolly Christina Parton

Dolly Rebecca Parton (b. January 19, 1946)

Robert Lee "Bobby" Parton Jr. (b. February 18, 1948)

Stella Mae Parton, (a singer, b. May 4, 1949)

Cassie Nan Parton (a singer, b. February 12, 1951)

Randel Huston "Randy" Parton (a singer and businessman, b. December 15, 1953)

Larry Gerald Parton (b. July 6, 1955, d. July 6, 1955)

Floyd Parton (a singer-songwriter) and Freida Estelle Parton (a singer) – twins (b. June 1, 1957)

Rachel Ann Parton (an actress, b. August 31, 1959)

Her family was, as she described them, "dirt poor". She described her family's shortness of money in a number of her early songs, notably "Coat of Many Colors" and "In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)". They lived in a rustic, dilapidated one-room cabin in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, a hamlet just north of the Greenbrier Valley in the Locust Ridge area of the Great Smoky Mountains in Sevier County, a predominantly Pentecostal area.

Music formed a major part of her early church experience. She once told an interviewer that her grandfather was a Pentecostal "holy-roller" preacher. Today, when appearing in live concerts, she frequently performs spiritual songs.

Career discovery

Parton began performing as a child, singing on local radio and television programs in the Eastern Tennessee area. By age nine, she was appearing on ''The Cas Walker Show'' on both WIVK Radio and WBIR-TV in Knoxville, Tennessee. At thirteen, she was recording on a small Louisiana label, Goldband Records, and appeared at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. It was at the Opry where she first met Johnny Cash who encouraged her to go where her heart took her, and not to care what others thought. The day after she graduated from high school in 1964, Parton moved to Nashville taking many traditional elements of folklore and popular music from East Tennessee with her.

Parton's initial success came as a songwriter, writing two top ten hits with her uncle Bill Owens: Bill Phillips's "Put it Off Until Tomorrow" and Skeeter Davis' 1967 hit "Fuel to the Flame". She also wrote a minor chart hit for Hank Williams Jr during this period. She had signed with Monument Records in late 1965, where she was initially pitched as a bubblegum pop singer, earning only one national-chart single, "Happy, Happy Birthday Baby," which did not crack the Billboard Hot 100.

The label agreed to let Parton sing country music after her composition, "Put It Off Until Tomorrow," as recorded by Bill Phillips (and with Parton, uncredited, on harmony), went to number six on the country music charts in 1966. Her first country single, "Dumb Blonde" (one of the few songs during this era that she recorded but did not write), reached number twenty-four on the country music charts in 1967, followed the same year with "Something Fishy," which went to number seventeen. The two songs anchored her first full-length album, ''Hello, I'm Dolly''.

Marriage

On May 30, 1966, she and Carl Thomas Dean were married in Ringgold, Georgia. She had met Dean at the Wishy-Washy Laundromat two years earlier on her first day in Nashville. His very first words to her were: "Y'all gonna get sunburnt out there, little lady."

Dean, who runs an asphalt road-surface-paving business in Nashville, has always shunned publicity and rarely accompanies her to any events. According to Parton, he has only ever seen her perform once. However, she has also commented in interviews that, although it appears they do not spend much time together, it is simply that nobody sees him. She has also commented on Dean's romantic side claiming that he will often do spontaneous things to surprise her, and sometimes even writes her poems.

The couple partly raised several of Parton's younger siblings at their home in Nashville, leading her nieces and nephews to refer to her as "Aunt Granny". She has no children of her own.

Parton is also the godmother of actress and singer, Miley Cyrus.

The couple are also the sole guardian of a family friend's son whose parents died within two years of each other, though in keeping with the very private nature of the family, not much is known of him.

On May 30, 2011, they celebrated their 45th anniversary. Later, she said, "We're really proud of our marriage. It's the first for both of us. And the last."

Music career

1967–75: Country music success

In 1967, country entertainer Porter Wagoner invited Parton to join his organization, offering her a regular spot on his weekly syndicated television program ''The Porter Wagoner Show'', as well as in his road show.

Initially, much of Wagoner's audience was unhappy that Norma Jean, the performer whom Parton had replaced, had left the show, and was reluctant to accept Parton (sometimes chanting loudly for Norma Jean from the audience). With Wagoner's assistance, however, Parton was eventually accepted. Wagoner also convinced his label, RCA Victor, to sign Parton. RCA decided to protect their investment by releasing her first single as a duet with Wagoner. That song, a cover of Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing on My Mind," released in late 1967, reached the country top ten in January 1968, launching a six-year streak of virtually uninterrupted top ten singles for the pair.

Parton's first solo single for RCA, "Just Because I'm a Woman," was released in the summer of 1968 and was a moderate chart hit, reaching number seventeen. For the remainder of the decade, none of her solo efforts – even "In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)", which later became a standard – were as successful as her duets with Wagoner. The duo was named ''Vocal Group of the Year'' in 1968 by the Country Music Association, but Parton's solo records were continually ignored. Wagoner and Parton were both frustrated by her lack of solo success, because he had a significant financial stake in her future: as of 1969, he was her co-producer and owned nearly half of Owepar, the publishing company Parton had founded with Bill Owens.

By 1970, both Parton and Wagoner had grown frustrated by her lack of solo chart success, and Porter had her record Jimmie Rodgers' "Mule Skinner Blues", a gimmick that worked. The record shot to number three on the charts, followed closely, in February 1971, by her first number-one single, "Joshua." For the next two years, she had a number of solo hits – including her signature song "Coat of Many Colors" (number four in 1971) – in addition to her duets. Though she had successful singles, none of them were blockbusters until "Jolene". Released in late 1973, the song topped the singles chart in February 1974 (it would eventually also chart in the UK, reaching #7 in 1976, representing Parton's first UK success). Parton and Wagoner performed their last duet concert in April 1974, and she ceased appearing on his TV show in mid-1974, though they remained affiliated, with him helping to produce her records through 1976. The pair continued to release duet albums, their final release being 1975's ''Say Forever You'll Be Mine''.

In 1974, her song, "I Will Always Love You," written about her professional break from Wagoner, went to number one on the country music charts. Around the same time, Elvis Presley indicated that he wanted to cover the song. Parton was interested until Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, told her that it was standard procedure for the songwriter to sign over half of the publishing rights to any song Elvis recorded. Parton refused, and that decision is credited with helping to make her many millions of dollars in royalties from the song over the years.

1976–86: Branching out into pop music

From 1974 to 1980, she consistently charted in the country Top 10, with no fewer than eight singles reaching number one. Parton had her own syndicated-television variety show, ''Dolly!'' (1976–1977). During this period, a number, including Rose Maddox, Kitty Wells, Olivia Newton-John, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt, covered her songs, and her siblings Randy and Stella all received recording contracts of their own.

It was also during this period that Parton began to embark on a high profile crossover campaign, attempting to aim her music in a more mainstream direction and increase her visibility outside of the confines of country music. In 1976, she signed with the Los Angeles PR firm Katz-Gallin-Morey, working closely with Sandy Gallin, who would serve as her personal manager for the next twenty-five years.

With her 1976 album ''All I Can Do'', co-produced by herself with Porter Wagoner, Parton began taking more of an active role in production, and began specifically aiming her music in a more mainstream, pop direction. Her first entirely self-produced effort, 1977's ''New Harvest ... First Gathering'', highlighted Parton's pop sensibilities, both in terms of choice of songs—the album contained covers of the pop and R&B; classics "My Girl" and "Higher and Higher" – and the album's production. While receiving generally favorable reviews, however, the album did not achieve the crossover success Parton had hoped for. Though it topped the country albums charts, it stalled at #71 on the pop albums chart; the album's single, "Light of a Clear Blue Morning" only reached #87 on the Hot 100.

After ''New Harvest'''s disappointing chart performance, Parton turned to high profile pop producer Gary Klein for her next album. The result, 1977's ''Here You Come Again'', became her first million-seller, topping the country albums chart and reaching #20 on the pop albums chart; the Barry Mann-Cynthia Weil-penned "title track" topped the country singles chart, and became Parton's first top-ten single on the pop charts (reaching number three). A second single, the double A-sided single "Two Doors Down"/"It's All Wrong But It's All Right" also topped the country singles chart and crossed over to the pop top twenty. For the remainder of the 1970s and into the early '80s, many of Parton's subsequent singles charted on both pop and country charts, simultaneously. Her albums during this period were developed specifically for pop-crossover success.

In 1978 Parton won a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her ''Here You Come Again'' album. She continued to have hits with "Heartbreaker" (1978), "Baby I'm Burning" and "You're the Only One" (both 1979), all of which charted in the pop singles Top 40, and all of which also topped the country-singles chart; 1979's "Sweet Summer Lovin'" became the first Parton single in two years to not top the country singles chart (though it still nonetheless reached the top ten). During this period, Parton's visibility continued to increase, with television appearances in 1977, 1978 and 1979. A highly publicized candid interview on ''The Barbara Walters Special'' in December 1977 (timed to coincide with ''Here You Come Again'''s release) was followed by appearances in 1978 on Cher's ABC television special, and her own joint special with Carol Burnett on CBS, ''Carol and Dolly in Nashville''. She also served as one of three co-hosts (along with Roy Clark and Glen Campbell) on the CBS special ''Fifty Years of Country Music''. In 1979, Parton hosted the NBC special ''The Seventies: An Explosion of Country Music'', performed live at the Ford Theatre in Washington, D.C., and whose audience included President Jimmy Carter.

Parton's commercial success continued to grow during 1980, with three number-one hits in a row: the Donna Summer-written "Starting Over Again", "Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You", and "9 to 5", which topped the country and pop charts in early 1981.

With less time to spend songwriting as she focused on a burgeoning film career, during the early 1980s Parton recorded a larger percentage of material from noted pop songwriters, such as Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Rupert Holmes, Gary Portnoy and Carole Bayer Sager.

"9 to 5", the theme song to the feature film ''Nine to Five'' (1980) Parton starred in along with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, not only reached number one on the country charts, but also, in February 1981, reached number one on the pop and the adult-contemporary charts, giving her a triple-number-one hit. Parton became one of the few female country singers to have a number-one single on the country and pop charts simultaneously. It also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.

Parton's singles continued to appear consistently in the country Top 10: between 1981 and 1985, she had 12 Top 10 hits; half of those were number-one singles. Parton continued to make inroads on the pop charts as well with a re-recorded version of "I Will Always Love You" from the feature film ''The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas'' (1982) scraping the Top 50 that year and her duet with Kenny Rogers, "Islands in the Stream" (written by the Bee Gees and produced by Barry Gibb), spent two weeks at number one in 1983. Other chart hits during this period included Parton's chart-topping cover of the 1969 First Edition hit "But You Know I Love You" and "The House of the Rising Sun" (both 1981), "Single Women", "Heartbreak Express" and "Hard Candy Christmas" (1982) and 1983's "Potential New Boyfriend", which was accompanied by one of Parton's first music videos, and which also reached the U.S. dance charts.

She also continued to explore new business and entertainment ventures such as her Dollywood theme park, that opened in 1986 in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

By the mid-1980s, her record sales were still relatively strong, with "Save the Last Dance for Me", "Downtown", "Tennessee Homesick Blues" (all 1984); "Real Love" (another duet with Kenny Rogers), "Don't Call It Love" (both 1985); and "Think About Love" (1986) all reaching the country-singles Top 10. ("Tennessee Homesick Blues" and "Think About Love" reached number one. "Real Love" also reached number one on the country-singles chart and also became a modest pop-crossover hit). However, RCA Records didn't renew her contract after it expired that year, and she signed with Columbia Records in 1987.

1987–94: Return to country roots

Along with Harris and Ronstadt, she released the decade-in-the-making ''Trio'' (1987) to critical acclaim. The album strongly revitalized Parton's temporarily stalled music career, spending five weeks at number one on Billboard's Country Albums chart, selling several million copies and producing four Top 10 country hits including Phil Spector's "To Know Him Is to Love Him", which went to number one. ''Trio'' won the Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. In 1987, she revived her television variety show, ''Dolly''.

After a further attempt at pop success with 1987's critically and commercially disappointing ''Rainbow'', Parton refocused on recording country material. ''White Limozeen'' (1989) produced two number-one hits in "Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like That" and "Yellow Roses". Although it looked like Parton's career had been revived, it was actually just a brief revival before contemporary country music came in the early 1990s and moved all veteran artists out of the charts.

A duet with Ricky Van Shelton, "Rockin' Years" (1991) reached number one but Parton's greatest commercial fortune of the decade came when Whitney Houston recorded "I Will Always Love You" for the soundtrack of the feature film ''The Bodyguard'' (1992); both the single and the album were massively successful.

She recorded "The Day I Fall In Love" as a duet with James Ingram for the feature film ''Beethoven's 2nd'' (1993). The songwriters (Sager, Ingram, and Clif Mangess) were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song and Parton and Ingram performed the song on the awards telecast.

Similar to her earlier collabrative album with Harris and Ronstadt, Parton recorded ''Honky Tonk Angels'' (1994) with Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. It was certified as Gold Album by the Recording Industry Association of America and helped revive both Wynette's and Lynn's careers.

Also in 1994, Parton contributed the song "You Gotta Be My Baby" to the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Country produced by the Red Hot Organization.

1995–present

In 1995 Parton re-recorded "I Will Always Love You" as a duet with Vince Gill on her album ''Something Special'' for which they won the Country Music Association's Vocal Event of the Year Award.

A second and more contemporary collaboration with Harris and Ronstadt, ''Trio II'' (1999), was released and its cover of Neil Young's "After the Gold Rush" won a Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals. Parton was also inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999.

She recorded a series of critically acclaimed bluegrass albums, beginning with ''The Grass Is Blue'' (1999), winning a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album, and ''Little Sparrow'' (2001), with its cover of Collective Soul's "Shine" winning a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. The third, ''Halos & Horns'' (2002) included a bluegrass version of the Led Zeppelin classic "Stairway to Heaven".

Parton released ''Those Were The Days'' (2005), her interpretation of hits from the folk-rock era of the late 1960s through the early 1970s. It featured such classics as John Lennon's "Imagine", Cat Stevens's "Where Do the Children Play?", Tommy James's "Crimson and Clover", and Pete Seeger's anti-war song "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?".

Parton earned her second Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for "Travelin' Thru", which she wrote specifically for the feature film ''Transamerica'' (2005). Because of the song's theme of uncritical acceptance of a transgender woman, Parton received death threats. She also returned to number one on the country charts later in 2005 by lending her distinctive harmonies to the Brad Paisley ballad, "When I Get Where I'm Goin'".

In September 2007, Parton released her first single from her own record company, Dolly Records, entitled, "Better Get to Livin'", which eventually peaked at number forty-eight on the Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. It was followed by the studio album, "Backwoods Barbie", which was released February 26, 2008, and reached number two on the country charts. The album's debut at number seventeen on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart has been the highest in her career. ''Backwoods Barbie'' produced four additional singles, including the title track, which was written as part of her score for ''9 to 5: The Musical'', an adaptation of her feature film ''Nine to Five''.

After the sudden death of Michael Jackson, whom Parton knew personally, she released a video in which she somberly told of her feelings on Jackson and his death.

On October 27, 2009, Parton released a 4-CD box set entitled "Dolly" which features 99 songs and spans most of her career. She is now set to release her second live DVD and album, "Live From London" in October 2009 which was filmed during her sold out 2008 concerts at London's O2 Arena. She is also currently working on a dance-oriented album, "Dance with Dolly", which she hopes to release in 2010.

Longtime friend Billy Ray Cyrus, singer of Brother Clyde, released their self-titled debut album on August 10, 2010. Parton is featured on "The Right Time", which she co-wrote with Cyrus and Morris Joseph Tancredi.

She stated in 2010 that she would like to start recording a country-dance album in November, and that it should be set for release in 2011. On January 6, 2011, Dolly announced her new album would be titled, ''Better Day''. In February 2011, Dolly announced that she would embark on the Better Day World Tour on July 17, 2011, with shows in northern Europe and the United States. The album's lead-off single, "Together You and I," was released on May 26, 2011, and ''Better Day'' was released on June 28, 2011.

In 2011 Dolly voiced the character Dolly Gnome in the British-made animated film Gnomeo and Juliet.

In concert and on tour

Parton toured extensively from the late 1960s until the early 1990s. In the 60's and 70's, Parton toured alongside other country musicians including Porter Wagoner, George Jones and Linda Ronstadt. Parton toured as a headline act in 1977 and 1978 for promote her albums, ''Here You Come Again'' and ''Heartbreaker''. From 1984 to 1985, she toured alongside Kenny Rogers for the "Real Love Tour". She continued touring in 1986 with the "Thinkin' About Love Tour" and in 1989 for the "White Limozeen Tour". Her only tour in the 1990s was the "Eagle When She Files Tour" which was performed in 1991 and 1992. In 2002 she returned to the concert stage; she later went on the Backwoods Barbie Tour in 2008 promoting ''Backwoods Barbie''.

Dollywood Foundation Shows

From the early 1990s through 2001, her concert appearances were primarily limited to one weekend a year at Dollywood to benefit her Dollywood Foundation. The concerts normally followed a theme (similar to a Legends in Concert or, for example, a "fifties-music"-tribute concert). They have also included holiday shows during the Christmas season.

Halos & Horns Tour

After a decade-long absence from touring, Parton decided to return in 2002 with the Halos & Horns Tour, an 18-city, intimate club tour to promote ''Halos & Horns'' (2002). House of Blues Entertainment, Inc. produced the tour and it sold out all its U.S. and European dates (her first in two decades).

Hello, I'm Dolly Tour

She returned to mid-sized-stadium venues in 2004 with her 36-city, U.S. and Canadian Hello, I'm Dolly Tour, a glitzier, more-elaborate stage show than two years earlier. With nearly 140,000 tickets sold, it was the tenth-biggest country tour of the year and grossed more than $6 million.

The Vintage Tour

In late 2005 Parton completed a 40-city tour with The Vintage Tour promoting her new ''Those Were the Days'' (2005).

An Evening with Dolly Parton

Parton scheduled mini concerts in late 2006 throughout the U.S. and Canada as a gear-up to her 17-city, 21-date An Evening with Dolly Parton. Running from March 6 – April 3, 2007, this was her first world tour in many years and her first tour in the United Kingdom since 2002.

The tour sold out in every European city and gained positive reviews. It grossed just over $16 million. The most-noted feature of the shows, despite Parton being 60, was that most in attendance had never seen her in concert before. This, coupled with Parton's European popularity, led to a rapturous reception whenever she took to the stage.

Backwoods Barbie Tour

In 2008 Parton went on the Backwoods Barbie Tour. It was set to begin in the U.S. (February–April 2008) to coincide with the release of ''Backwoods Barbie'' (2008), her first mainstream-country album in 17 years. However, because of back problems she postponed all U.S. dates. The tour started March 28, 2008, with 13 U.S. dates, followed by 17 European shows.

She returned to the U.S. with a concert at Humphrey's By The Bay in San Diego, California, on August 1, 2008. She performed her Backwoods Barbie Tour on August 3, 2008, at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California, to a sold-out crowd and standing ovations. From August 1 to November 1, she has scheduled 16 dates on both the east and west coasts of the U.S.

Better Day World Tour

In 2011, Dolly plans to embark on the Better Day World Tour visiting northern Europe, the United States and Australia (for the first time in almost 30 years).

Songwriting

Parton is a successful songwriter, having begun by writing country-music songs with strong elements of folk music, based upon her upbringing in humble mountain surroundings, and reflecting her family's evangelical-Christian background. Her songs "Coat of Many Colors", "I Will Always Love You" and "Jolene" have become classics in the field, as have a number of others. As a songwriter, she is also regarded as one of country music's most-gifted storytellers, with many of her narrative songs based on persons and events from her childhood. On November 4, 2003, Dolly Parton was honored as a BMI Icon at the 2003 BMI Country Awards. She has earned over 35 BMI Pop and Country Awards throughout her prolific songwriting career. In 2001, she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

In a 2009 interview with CNN's ''Larry King Live'', Parton indicated that she had written "at least 3,000" songs, having written seriously since the age of seven. Parton went on to say that she writes something every day, be it a song or an idea.

Compositions in films and television and covers

Parton's songwriting has been featured prominently in several films.

In addition to the title song for ''Nine to Five'' (1980), she also recorded a second version of "I Will Always Love You" for ''The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas'' (1982). The second version proved to be another number-one country hit and also managed to reach the pop charts going to number 53 in the U.S.

"I Will Always Love You" has been covered by many country artists, including Ronstadt, on ''Prisoner In Disguise'' (1975); Kenny Rogers, on ''Vote for Love'' (1996); and LeAnn Rimes, on ''Unchained Melody: The Early Years'' (1997). Whitney Houston performed it on ''The Bodyguard'' (1992) film soundtrack and her version became the best-selling hit ever both written and performed by a female vocalist, with worldwide sales of over twelve million copies. In addition,the song has been translated into Italian and performed by the Welsh opera singer Katherine Jenkins, a fact referred to by Dolly herself in the Birmingham (UK) concert of the 'Backwoods Barbie' Tour.

As a songwriter, Parton has twice been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, for "9 to 5" (1980) and "Travelin' Thru" (2005). "Travelin' Thru" did win as Best Original Song award at the Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards (2005). The song was also nominated for both the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song (2005) and the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award (also known as the Critics' Choice Awards) for Best Song (2005).

A cover version of "Love Is Like A Butterfly", recorded by singer Clare Torry, was used as the theme music for the British TV show ''Butterflies''.

''American Idol'' appearance

The music-competition, reality-television show ''American Idol'' (since 2002) has weekly themes and the April 1–2, 2008, episodes' theme was "Dolly Parton Songs" with the nine then-remaining contestants each singing a Parton composition. Parton participated as a "guest mentor" to the contestants and also performed "Jesus and Gravity" (from ''Backwoods Barbie'' and released as a single in March 2008) receiving a standing ovation from the studio audience.

''9 to 5: The Musical''

Parton wrote the score (and Patricia Resnick wrote the book) for ''9 to 5: The Musical'', a musical-theatre adaptation of Parton's feature film ''Nine to Five'' (1980). The musical ran at the Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, California, in Fall 2008.

It opened on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre in New York City, on April 30, 2009, to mixed reviews. The title track of her ''Backwoods Barbie'' (2008), was written for the musical's character Doralee. Though her score (as well as the musical debut of actress Allison Janney) was praised, the show struggled and closed on September 6, 2009 after 24 previews and 148 performances.

Developing the musical was not an overnight process. According to a broadcast of the public-radio program Studio 360 (October 29, 2005), in October 2005 Parton was in the midst of composing the songs for a Broadway musical-theatre adaptation of the film. In late June 2007, ''9 to 5: the Musical'' was read for industry presentations. The readings starred Megan Hilty, Allison Janney, Stephanie J. Block, Bebe Neuwirth and Marc Kudisch.

Musician

Parton plays the autoharp, banjo, drums, dulcimer, fiddle, guitar, harmonica, flute, pennywhistle and piano. She began composing songs at the age of four, her mother often writing down the music as she heard Parton singing around the house. Parton often describes her talent as having "the gift of rhyme".

Acting career

During the mid-1970s, Parton wanted to expand her audience base. Although her first attempt, the television variety show ''Dolly!'' (1976–1977), had high ratings, it lasted only one season, with Parton requesting to be released from her contract because of the stress it was causing her vocal cords. (She later tried a second television variety show, also entitled ''Dolly'' (1987–1988); it also lasted only one season.)

Film

In her first feature film she portrayed a secretary in a co-starring role with Fonda and Tomlin in ''Nine to Five'' (1980). Parton received Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and New Star Of The Year – Actress.

She also wrote and recorded the biggest solo hit of her career with the film's title song. It received a nomination for Academy Award for Best Song along with a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Original Song. Released as a single, the song won two Grammy Awards: Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song. The song also reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and in was placed number 78 on the American Film Institute's "100 Years... 100 Songs" list released in 2004. Parton was also named Top Female Box Office Star by the Motion Picture Herald in both 1981 and 1982.

Parton's second film ''The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas'' (1982), earned her a second Golden Globe nomination for Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.

She followed with ''Rhinestone'' (1984), co-starring Sylvester Stallone, and ''Steel Magnolias'' (1989), with an ensemble cast.

The last leading role for Parton was portraying a plainspoken radio-program host (with listeners telephoning in to share their problems) in ''Straight Talk'' (1992), opposite James Woods.

She played an overprotective mother in ''Frank McKlusky, C.I.'' (2002) with Dave Sheridan, Cameron Richardson and Randy Quaid.

Parton played herself in a cameo appearance in ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' (1993) (an adaptation of the long-running television situation comedy of the same name) and also in ''Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous'' (2005) (the sequel to Sandra Bullock's earlier ''Miss Congeniality'' (2000)).

She was featured in ''The Book Lady'' (2008) a documentary about her campaign for children’s literacy and she was expecting to repeat her television role as Hannah's godmother in ''Hannah Montana: The Movie'' (2008) but the character was omitted from the final screenplay.

In 2011 Dolly was in the movie Gnomeo and Juliet, a film about Shakespeare's story of Romeo and Juliet about gnomes.

Parton is set to co-star with Queen Latifah in ''Joyful Noise'', a gospel-choir feature film from Alcon Entertainment, which finished filming in April 2011. In ''Joyful Noise'', Parton will play a choir director's widow who joins forces with Queen Latifah's mother of two teens to save the Pacashau gospel choir after the death of her husband.

Television

In addition to her performing appearances on the Wagoner Show in the 1960s and into the 1970s; her two self-titled television variety shows in the 1970s and 1980s; and on ''American Idol'' in 2008 and other guest appearances, Parton has also acted in television roles. In 1979 she received an Emmy award nomination as "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Variety Program" for her guest appearance in a Cher special. During the 1980s, she starred in two popular television concert specials: 1983's ''Dolly in London'', filmed live in London's Dominion Theatre, and ''Dolly & Kenny: Real Love'', a 1985 concert special with Kenny Rogers, filmed during their joint concert tour. (Parton and Rogers also filmed a popular 1984 holiday special for CBS, and the two teamed up with Willie Nelson in 1989 for another concert special ''Something Inside So Strong.'')

Parton has appeared as a frequent presenter and performer on a number of awards shows, from the 1960s through the 2010s, and she remains a popular guest on a number of talk shows.

She starred in the television movie ''A Smoky Mountain Christmas'' (1986); ''Unlikely Angel'' (1996), portraying an angel sent back to earth following a deadly car crash; and ''Blue Valley Songbird'' (1999), where her character lives through her music.

Parton has also done voice work for animation for television series, playing herself in the ''Alvin and the Chipmunks'' (episode "Urban Chipmunk", 1983) and the character Katrina Eloise "Murph" Murphy in ''The Magic School Bus'' (episode "The Family Holiday Special", 1994).

Parton has guest starred in a number of sitcoms, including a 1990 episode of ''Designing Women'' (episode "The First Day of the Last Decade of the Entire Twentieth Century") as herself, the guardian movie star of Charlene's baby. She also appeared in the situation comedy series ''Reba'' (episode "Reba's Rules of Real Estate") portraying a real-estate agency owner, and on ''The Simpsons'' (episode "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday", 1999). She also appeared as herself in 2000 on the Halloween episode of Bette Midler's sitcom ''Bette,'' and episode 14 of the Fox sitcom ''Babes'' (which was produced by Sandollar Productions, Parton and Sandy Gallin's joint production company).

Dolly also guest starred on an episode of "The Love Boat."

She also made cameo appearances on the Disney Channel as "Aunt Dolly" visiting Hannah and her family in the fellow Tennessean Miley Cyrus's series ''Hannah Montana'' (episodes "Good Golly, Miss Dolly", 2006, "I Will Always Loathe You", 2007, and "Kiss It All Goodbye", 2010). The role came about because of her real-life relationship as Cyrus's godmother. She was nominated for a Outstanding Guest Actress in Comedy Series.

Businesses

In 1998, Nashville Business ranked her as the wealthiest country-music star.

The Dollywood Company

Parton invested much of her earnings into business ventures in her native East Tennessee, notably Pigeon Forge. She is a co-owner of The Dollywood Company, which operates the theme park Dollywood (a former Silver Dollar City), a dinner theatre, Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede, and the waterpark, Dollywood's Splash Country, all in Pigeon Forge.

Dollywood is ranked as the 24th-most-popular theme park in the U.S., with about three million visitors annually. The area is a thriving tourist attraction, drawing visitors from large parts of the Southeastern and Midwestern U.S. This region of the U.S., like most areas of Appalachia, had suffered economically for decades; Parton's business investment has helped revitalize the area.

The Dixie Stampede business also has venues in Branson, Missouri, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. A former Dixie Stampede location in Orlando, Florida closed in January 2008 after the business's land and building were sold to a developer. Starting in June 2011, the Myrtle beach location became Pirates Voyage Fun, Feast & Adventure; Parton appeared for the opening, and the South Carolina General Assembly declared June 3, 2011 Dolly Parton Day.

Film and television production company

Parton is a co-owner of Sandollar Productions with Sandy Gallin, her former manager. A film-and-television-production company, it produced the ''Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt'' (1989) which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary (Feature); the television series ''Babes'' (1990–1991) and ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1997–2003); and the feature films ''Father of the Bride'' (1991), ''Father of the Bride: Part II'' (1995) ''Straight Talk'' (1992) (in which Parton also starred), ''Sabrina'' (1995), among other shows. In a 2009 interview singer Connie Francis revealed that Dolly had been contacting her for years in an attempt to film the singer's life story. Francis turned down Parton's offers as she was already in negotiations with singer Gloria Estefan to produce the film, a collaboration which has now ended.

Other businesses

Briefly from 1987, Parton owned Dockside Plantation, a restaurant in the upscale neighborhood of Hawaii Kai in Honolulu, Hawaii. She also had a "signature line" of wigs from Revlon in the early 1990s. The best-selling style, "Dolly's Own", is still sold by Revlon, albeit under a new style name.

Philanthropic efforts

Since the mid-1980s Parton has supported many charitable efforts, particularly in the area of literacy, primarily through her Dollywood Foundation.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

Her literacy program, "Dolly Parton's Imagination Library", a part of the Dollywood Foundation, mails one book per month to each enrolled child from the time of their birth until they enter kindergarten. It began in Sevier County but has now been replicated in 566 counties across thirty-six U.S. states (as well as in Canada). In December 2007 it expanded to Europe with the South Yorkshire town of Rotherham, United Kingdom, being the first British locality to receive the books. The program distributes more than 2.5 million free books to children annually.

In 2006 Parton published a cookbook ''Dolly's Dixie Fixin's: Love, Laughter and Lots of Good Food''. The net profits support the Dollywood Foundation.

Other philanthropy

Dollywood has been noted for bringing jobs and tax revenues to a previously depressed region. She has also worked to raise money on behalf of several other causes, including the American Red Cross and a number of HIV/AIDS-related charities.

In December 2006, Parton pledged $500,000 toward a proposed $90-million hospital and cancer center to be constructed in Sevierville in the name of Dr. Robert F. Thomas, the physician who delivered her; she also announced plans for a benefit concert to raise additional funds for the project. The concert went ahead playing to about 8,000 people.

In May 2009, Parton gave the commencement address at the University of Tennessee. Her speech was about her life lessons, and she encouraged the graduates to never stop dreaming.

Awards and honors

Parton is one of the most-honored female country performers of all time. The Record Industry Association of America has certified 25 of her single or album releases as either Gold Record, Platinum Record or Multi-Platinum Record. She has had 26 songs reach number one on the Billboard country charts, a record for a female artist. She has 42 career-top-10 country albums, a record for any artist, and 110 career-charted singles over the past 40 years. All inclusive sales of singles, albums, hits collections, paid digital downloads and compilation usage during Parton's career have reportedly topped 174 million records around the world.

She has received eight Grammy Awards and a total of 45 Grammy Award nominations. At the 2011 Grammies she was given a Lifetime Achievement Award. At the American Music Awards she has won three awards, but has received 18 nominations. At the Country Music Association, she has received 10 awards and 42 nominations. At the Academy of Country Music, she has won seven awards and 39 nominations. She is one of only six female artists (including Reba McEntire, Barbara Mandrell, Shania Twain, Loretta Lynn, and Taylor Swift), to win the Country Music Association's highest honor, Entertainer of the Year (1978). She has also been nominated for two Academy Awards and a Tony Award.

She was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording in 1984, located at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California; a star on the Nashville Star Walk for Grammy winners; and a bronze sculpture on the courthouse lawn in Sevierville. She has called that statue of herself in her hometown "the greatest honor," because it came from the people who knew her.

Parton was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1969, and in 1986 was named one of ''Ms. Magazine'''s Women of the Year. In 1986, Parton was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 1999, Parton received country music's highest honor, an induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. She received an honorary doctorate degree from Carson-Newman College (Jefferson City, Tennessee) in 1990. This was followed by induction into the National Academy of Popular Music/Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2002, Parton ranked number four in ''CMT's 40 Greatest Women of Country Music.''

She was honored in 2003 with a tribute album called ''Just Because I'm a Woman: Songs of Dolly Parton''. The artists who recorded versions of Parton's songs included Melissa Etheridge ("I Will Always Love You"), Alison Krauss ("9 to 5"), Twain ("Coat of Many Colors"), Me'Shell NdegéOcello ("Two Doors Down"), Norah Jones ("The Grass is Blue"), and Sinéad O'Connor ("Dagger Through the Heart"); Parton herself contributed a rerecording of the title song, originally the title song for her first RCA album in 1968. Parton was awarded the Living Legend Medal by the U.S. Library of Congress on April 14, 2004, for her contributions to the cultural heritage of the United States.

This was followed in 2005 with the National Medal of Arts, the highest honor given by the U.S. government for excellence in the arts and is presented by the U.S. President.

On December 3, 2006, Parton received the Kennedy Center Honors from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for her lifetime of contributions to the arts. Other 2006 honorees included Zubin Mehta, Steven Spielberg, Smokey Robinson and Andrew Lloyd Webber. During the show, some of country music's biggest names came to show their admiration. Carrie Underwood performed Parton's hit "Islands in the Stream" with Rogers, Parton's original duet partner. Krauss performed "Jolene" and duetted "Coat of Many Colors" with Twain. McEntire and Reese Witherspoon also came to pay tribute.

On November 16, 2010, Parton accepted the Liseberg Applause Award, the theme park industry's most prestigious honor, on behalf of Dollywood theme park during a ceremony held at IAAPA Attractions Expo 2010 in Orlando.

Philanthropy-related honors

In 2003, her efforts to preserve the bald eagle through the American Eagle Foundation's sanctuary at Dollywood earned her the Partnership Award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Parton received the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service from the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars of the Smithsonian Institution at a ceremony in Nashville on November 8, 2007.

For her work in literacy, Parton has received various awards including:

Association of American Publishers – AAP Honors Award (2000)

Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval (2001) (the first time the seal had been awarded to a person)

American Association of School Administrators – Galaxy Award (2002)

National State Teachers of the Year – Chasing Rainbows Award (2002)

Parents as Teachers National Center – Child and Family Advocacy Award (2003)

On May 8, 2009, Parton gave the commencement speech at the commencement ceremony in Knoxville, Tennessee, for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville's College of Arts and Sciences. During the ceremony she received an honorary degree, a doctorate of humane and musical letters, from the university. It was only the second honorary degree to be given by the university and in presenting the degree, the university's chancellor, Jimmy G. Cheek, said, "Because of her career not just as a musician and entertainer, but for her role as a cultural ambassador, philanthropist and lifelong advocate for education, it is fitting that she be honored with an honorary degree from the flagship educational institution of her home state."

Image

Parton has turned down several offers to pose for ''Playboy'' magazine, although she did appear on the cover of ''Playboy'''s October 1978 issue wearing a Playboy bunny outfit, complete with ears (the October 1978 ''Playboy'' issue also featured Lawrence Grobel's extensive and candid interview with Parton, representing one of her earliest high profile interviews with the mainstream press). The association of breasts with Parton's public image is illustrated in the naming of Dolly the sheep after her, since the sheep was cloned from a cell taken from an adult ewe's mammary gland. When Parton was asked whether she minded being an eponym in this way, she joked, "No, there's no such thing as baa-ad publicity."

She has had plastic surgery. On a 2003 broadcast of ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', Winfrey asked what kind of cosmetic surgery Parton had undergone. Parton stated that she felt that cosmetic surgery was imperative in keeping with her famous image, but jokingly admitted, "If I have one more facelift, I'll have a beard!" Parton has repeatedly joked about her physical image and surgeries, saying, "If I see something sagging, bagging, and dragging, I'm going to nip it, suck it and tuck it. Why should I look like an old barn yard dog if I don't have to?" and "It takes a lot of money to look this cheap." Her breasts also garnered mention of her in several songs in the 1980s and 1990s, including "Dolly Parton's Hits" by Bobby Braddock, "Talk Like Sex" by Kool G Rap and DJ Polo, "Dolly Parton's Tits" by MacLean & MacLean, and "Crazy Rap" by Afroman.

Press agent Lee Solters represented Parton and has remarked that he knew her "since she was flat-chested".

Discography

Studio Albums:

1967: ''Hello, I'm Dolly''

1968: ''Just Because I'm a Woman''

1969: ''In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)''

1969: ''My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy''

1970: ''The Fairest of Them All''

1971: ''Golden Streets of Glory''

1971: ''Joshua''

1971: ''Coat of Many Colors''

1972: ''Touch Your Woman''

1972: ''My Favorite Songwriter: Porter Wagoner''

1973: ''My Tennessee Mountain Home''

1973: ''Bubbling Over''

1974: ''Jolene''

1974: ''Love Is Like a Butterfly''

1975: ''The Bargain Store''

1975: ''Dolly: The Seeker/We Used To''

1976: ''All I Can Do''

1977: ''New Harvest... First Gathering''

1977: ''Here You Come Again''

1978: ''Heartbreaker''

1979: ''Great Balls of Fire''

1980: ''Dolly, Dolly, Dolly''

1980: ''9 to 5 and Odd Jobs''

1982: ''Heartbreak Express''

1983: ''Burlap & Satin''

1984: ''The Great Pretender''

1985: ''Real Love''

1987: ''Rainbow''

1989: ''White Limozeen''

1991: ''Eagle When She Flies''

1993: ''Slow Dancing with the Moon''

1996: ''Something Special''

1996: ''Treasures''

1998: ''Hungry Again''

1999: ''The Grass Is Blue''

2001: ''Little Sparrow''

2002: ''Halos & Horns''

2003: ''For God and Country''

2005: ''Those Were the Days''

2008: ''Backwoods Barbie''

2011: ''Better Day''

Filmography

+ List of film acting performances
Title	Year	Role	Notes	Gross revenue
''Nine to Five''		Doralee Rhodes	Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy	$107,000,000
''''		Mona Stangley	Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy	$72,000,000
! scope="row"		Jake		$32,000,000
''Steel Magnolias''		Truvy Jones		$98,000,000
''Straight Talk''		Shirlee Kenyon		$28,000,000
''''		Herself	cameo appearance	$113,000,000
''Frank McKlusky, C.I.''		Edith McKlusky		$18,000,000
''Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous''		Herself	cameo appearance	$102,000,000
''Gnomeo and Juliet''		Dolly Gnome	voice	$29,000,000
! scope="row"		Herself	Voice cameo
! scope="row"		G.G. Sparrow

+ List of television acting performances
Title	Year	Role	Notes	Episode title
''Dolly and Carol in Nashville''		Trudy/Herself	TV movie
''Lily: Sold Out''		Herself	TV movie
''''		Lorna Davis	TV movie
''Wild Texas Wind''		Thiola "Big T" Rayfield	TV movie
! scope="row"		Betsy Baxter	TV series	Pilot episode, unaired
''Mindin' My Own Business''		Catering business owner	Pilot episode, unaired
''Unlikely Angel''		Ruby Diamond	TV movie
! scope="row"		Katrina Eloise 'Murph' Murphy	TV series	"The Family Holiday Special"
''Blue Valley Songbird''		Leanna Taylor	TV movie
! scope="row"		Dolly Majors	TV series	"Reba's Rules of Real Estate"
''Hannah Montana''		Aunt Dolly	TV series

+ List of television appearances as singer
Title	Year	Role	Notes	Episodes
''''		regular singer		All
''Dolly!''		host and performer		All
''Cher... Special''		herself
''''		herself
! scope="row"		herself		one episode
! scope="row"		host		22 episodes
''Bob Hope's Christmas Special''		herself
''Designing Women''		Herself – The Guardian Movie Star		"The First Day of the Last Decade of the Entire 20th Century: Part 1 & 2"
''Babes''		Herself	Cameo appearance	"Hello Dolly"
''Big Dreams and Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story''		Herself	Cameo appearance
''Naomi & Wynonna: Love Can Build a Bridge''		Herself
''Get to the Heart: The Barbara Mandrell Story''		Herself	Cameo appearance
''''		Herself		"Sunday, Cruddy Sunday"
''Jackie's Back''		Herself	Cameo appearance
! scope="row"		Herself	Cameo appearance	"Halloween"
''19 Kids and Counting"		Herself	Cameo	"Duggars Go To Dollywood"

See also

Academy of Country Music

Country Music Association

Country Music Hall of Fame

List of country music performers

List of best-selling music artists

Chasing Rainbows

References

Bibliography

Further reading

. . .

External links

dollypartonmusic.net, (official music website)

dollyparton.com, (official website – not fully launched as of December 23, 2009 and requires Adobe Flash)

"Dolly Parton", inductee page at countrymusichalloffame.com Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's official website

"Dolly Parton" biography at legacyrecordings.com, Legacy Recordings's official website

"Dolly Parton – Interview", posted November 18, 2008, at countrymusicpride.com

"A Conversation with Singer and Actress Dolly Parton", a June 5, 2009, video interview (requires Adobe Flash) from the ''Charlie Rose'' (talk show), a PBS television program, at charlierose.com, Rose's official website

Dolly Parton video interview from the talk show 'Parkinson' at BBC

Dolly-Parton.net, (fansite)

Category:1946 births Category:20th-century actors Category:American buskers Category:American entertainment industry businesspeople Category:American country singers Category:American country singer-songwriters Category:American female singers Category:American female guitarists Category:American film actors Category:American memoirists Category:American musical theatre composers Category:American musical theatre lyricists Category:American Pentecostals Category:American people of Scotch-Irish descent Category:American philanthropists Category:American pop singer-songwriters Category:American sopranos Category:American television actors Category:American television personalities Category:Appalachian culture Category:Country Music Hall of Fame inductees Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Grand Ole Opry members Category:Kennedy Center honorees Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Tennessee Category:People from Sevier County, Tennessee Category:Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees Category:United States National Medal of Arts recipients

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