The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. The two primary charts – the Hot 100 (top 100 singles) and the Billboard 200 (top 200 albums) – factor in airplay, as well as music sales in all relevant formats.

On January 4, 1936, ''Billboard'' magazine published its first music hit parade. The first Music Popularity Chart was calculated in July 1940. A variety of song charts followed, which were eventually consolidated into the Hot 100 by mid-1958. The Hot 100 currently combines single sales, radio airplay and digital downloads.

All of ''Billboard's'' charts use this basic formula. What separates the charts is which stations and stores are used – each musical genre having a core audience or retail group. Each genre's department at ''Billboard'' is headed up by a chart manager, who makes these determinations.

For many years, a song had to be commercially available as a single to be considered for any of ''Billboard's'' charts. At the time, instead of using SoundScan or BDS, Billboard obtained its data from manual reports filled out by radio stations and stores. According to the 50th Anniversary issue of ''Billboard'', prior to the official implementation of Nielsen SoundScan tracking in November 1991, many radio stations and retail stores removed songs from their manual reports after the associated record labels stopped promoting a particular single. Thus songs fell quickly after peaking and had shorter chart lives. In 1990, the country singles chart was the first chart to use SoundScan and BDS. They were followed by the Hot 100 and the R&B; chart in 1991. Today, all of ''Billboard's'' charts use this technology.

Before September 1995, singles were allowed to chart in the week they first went on sale based on airplay points alone. The policy was changed in September 1995 to only allow a single to debut after a full week of sales on combined sales and airplay points. This allowed several tracks to debut at number one.

In December 1998, the policy was further modified to allow tracks to chart on the basis of airplay alone without a commercial release. This change was made to reflect the changing realities of the music business. Previous to this, several substantial radio and MTV hits had not appeared on the ''Billboard'' chart at all, because many major labels chose not to release them as standalone singles, hoping their unavailability would spur greater album sales. Not offering a popular song to the public as a single was unheard of before the 1970s. The genres that suffered most at the time were those that increasingly impacted pop culture, including new genres such as trip hop and grunge. Among the many pre-1999 songs that had ended up in this Hot 100 limbo were The Cardigans' "Lovefool", Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn", Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris", OMC's "How Bizarre", Sugar Ray's "Fly" and No Doubt's "Don't Speak".

Starting in 2005, ''Billboard'' changed its methodology to allow paid digital downloads from digital music stores such as iTunes to chart with or without the help of radio airplay.

A variety of charts

Originally, ''Billboard'' had separate charts for different measures of popularity, including disk jockey playings, juke box song selection, and best selling records in retail stores. A composite standing chart that combined these gradually grew to become a top 100, the ancestor of the current Hot 100 chart. The juke box chart ceased publication after the June 17, 1957 issue, the disk jockey chart, after the July 28, 1958 issue, and the best seller chart, after the October 13, 1958 issue. The July 28, 1958 issue was also the last issue that called the composite chart the ''Top 100''; the following week began the ''Hot 100''.

Currently, ''Billboard'' publishes many different charts, with the Hot 100 and Billboard 200 being the most famous. ''Billboard'' also has charts for the following music styles: rock, country, dance, bluegrass, jazz, classical, R&B;, rap, electronic, pop, Latin, Christian music, comedy albums, and even for ringtones for mobile (cell) phones. In 2009 Billboard partnered with MetroLyrics to offer top 10 lyrics for each of the charts.

At year's end

At the end of each year, ''Billboard'' tallies the results of all of its charts, and the results are published in a year-end issue and heard on year-end editions of its ''American Top 40'' and ''American Country Countdown'' radio broadcasts, in addition to being announced in the press. Between 1991 and 2006, the top single/album/artist(s) in each of those charts was/were awarded in the form of the annual Billboard Music Awards, which were annually held in December until the awards went dormant in 2007 (plans for a new version of the awards in 2008 fell through, and no awards have been held since 2007). The year-end charts cover a period from the first week of December of the previous year to the last week of November of the respective year.

Singles and tracks

All-genre

Chart Title	Chart type	! Number ofpositions	! Description
				* The US music industry standard singles popularity chart
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles			* Ranks the top 25 songs below #100 that have not yet appeared on the Hot 100.	* Can also be considered a 25-position addendum to the Hot 100.	* But a song cannot appear on the Bubbling Under chart if it has appeared on the Hot 100.
			Billboard Hot 100>Hot 100.	* If a song reaches the top 50, it and any of the artist's/band's subsequent singles are ineligible for the chart.
				* Measures radio airplay audience impressions on 1,233 radio stations encompassing all formats.	* One of three component charts of the Hot 100
Hot Singles Sales				* Measures sales of commercial singles	* One of three component charts of the Hot 100	* No recurrent chart
Hot Digital Songs				* Ranks top-selling digital song sales	* Combines different versions of songs for a summarized figure	* One of the three component charts of the Hot 100	* No recurrent chart
Hot Digital Tracks			* Ranks digital song sales with different versions of songs listed	* No recurrent chart

R&B;/Hip-Hop

Chart Title	! Description
Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Airplay
Mainstream R&B;/Hip-Hop
Hot Adult R&B; Airplay	The Hot Adult R&B; Airplay measures airplay from 65 Urban AC radio stations.
Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Singles Sales	The Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Singles Sales is the sales component of Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs. It is a separate panel of sales of commercial 12" Maxi singles in the urban market.
Bubbling Under R&B;/Hip-Hop Singles	The Bubbling Under R&B;/Hip-Hop Singles ranks the top 25 singles gaining poins to debut inside the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs. The top 25 positions are the twenty-five space below the one-hundred point on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs.
	Measures airplay spins on 73 rhythmic stations. Rhythmic is a music radio format that includes of a mix of dance, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip hop and R&B; hits.
Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Recurrents	The Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs ranks songs that have fallen below #50 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs and have been on that chart for over 20 weeks.
Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Recurrent Airplay	The Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Recurrent Airplay ranks the songs that have fallen below #25 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Airplay and have been on that chart for over 20 weeks.

Adult/Pop

Chart Title	Chart type	! Number ofpositions	! Description
Top 40 Mainstream				* Measures airplay detections (spins) on 132 Contemporary hit radio stations
			* Measures airplay spins on 90 Hot adult contemporary stations.
			* Measures airplay spins on 85 adult contemporary stations

Country

Chart Title	Chart type	! Number ofpositions	! Description
Hot Country Songs				* Measures airplay audience impression on 126 country music stations

Rock

Chart Title	Chart type	! Number ofpositions	! Description
Rock Songs				* Measures airplay audience impression on 180 radio stations encompassing mainstream rock, alternative, active rock, heritage rock, and Triple A stations
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks				* Measures airplay spins on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music but are not modern rock (i.e., alternative).
Alternative Songs			alternative rock>alternative or "modern rock" stations
Active Rock			* Measures airplay spins on 57 active rock radio stations, which plays current rock artists with a mix of classic rock songs
Heritage Rock			* Measures airplay spins on 22 heritage rock radio stations
Triple A			* Measures airplay spins on Adult album alternative (also known as "Triple A") radio, most of which are alternative rock songs that skew towards an older audience

Dance

Chart Title	Chart type	! Number ofpositions	! Description
Hot Dance Club Songs				* Compiled exclusively from playlists submitted by nightclub disc jockeys, who must apply and meet certain criteria to become ''Billboard''-reporting DJs
Hot Dance Airplay				* A monitored dance music radio chart of 5 dance stations that came about as a result of the small but influential impact of dance music on the radio and the stations that program it
Hot Dance Singles Sales				* A chart that measures the sale of commercially released singles in the dance music market, including remixes. It was formerly known as Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales, when the chart was restricted to sales of the 12" Maxi Single and CD Maxi Single format, but in recent years, singles only released in the CD Single format have apparently been counted too.
Hot Dance/Electronic Digital Songs				* A chart that tracks the digital download of dance music singles, including tracks that are exclusively available online only. This chart also includes previously released dance and disco songs that became available for downloading.

Latin

Billboard Chart Title	! Description
Hot Latin Songs	The Hot Latin Songs (a.k.a., Hot Latin Tracks) is a weekly music chart for Spanish language singles in the American music market. It was established by the magazine in 1986, when music labels and Billboard realized that Spanish-language songs had a great potential to the American audiences. The chart is based on airplay on 123 Latin music stations. Songs on the chart are not necessarily in Spanish language.
Latin Pop Airplay	The Latin Pop Airplay is a weekly monitored Latin pop music radio chart that ranks the most played Latin pop songs on Latin music stations. It was established by the magazine in 1994.
Latin Regional Mexican Airplay	The Latin Regional Mexican Airplay is a weekly chart that ranks Regional Mexican music information from different genres like Mariachi, Norteño (music)
[[Latin Tropical Airplay	The Latin Tropical Airplay (a.k.a., Latin Tropical/Salsa Airplay) is a weekly monitored chart that ranks Tropical music information from different genres like Merengue, Salsa, Bachata, Guaracha and others on 18 Latin music stations. It was established by the magazine in 1994.
Latin Rhythm Airplay

Christian

Chart Title	Chart type	! Number ofpositions	! Description
Christian Songs				* Measures airplay audience impression on 96 Christian radio stations
Hot Christian AC Songs
Hot Gospel Songs			* Measures airplay spins on 48 Gospel stations

Jazz

Chart Title	Chart type	! Number ofpositions	! Description
Smooth Jazz Songs				* Measures airplay spins on 14 smooth jazz stations

Ringtones

Chart Title	Chart type	! Number ofpositions	! Description
Hot Ringtones				* Ranks weekly sales of Ring tone#Polyphoni
[[Hot RingMasters			* Ranks weekly sales of master ringtones for mobile phones
Hot Videoclips				Total Request Live>TRL and 106 & Park

Canadian charts

Chart Title	Chart type	! Number ofpositions	! Description
Canadian Hot 100				* Canadian music industry standard singles popularity chart
Emerging Canadian Artist			* Ranks most popular songs by emerging Canadian artists	* Artists are considered emerging until 12 months after the date their first Canadian Hot 100 charting entry reaches the top 40.	* No recurrent chart
Hot Digital Song				* Ranks top-selling digital song sales	* Combines different versions of songs for summarized figure	* one of the component charts of Canadian Hot 100.	* No recurrent chart
Hot 100 Airplay				* Measures radio airplay audience impressions on 137 radio stations from five different formats	* One of the component charts of Canadian Hot 100.
All-format Airplay				* Measures radio airplay spins on 137 radio stations from five formats.	Jam! Canadian Online Explorer>Canoe website.
CHR/Top 40 Airplay			* Measures radio airplay spins on 25 CHR radio stations
AC Airplay			* Measures radio airplay spins on 28 AC radio stations
Hot AC Airplay			* Measures radio airplay spins on 24 Hot AC radio stations
Country Airplay			* Measures radio airplay spins on 31 country radio stations.
Rock Airplay			* Measures radio airplay spins on 29 rock radio stations

International charts

Billboard Chart Title	! Description
Brasil Hot 100 Airplay	The Brazil Hot 100 Airplay ranks the most listening singles and tracks in Brazil.
Brasil Hot Pop Songs	Brazilian Hot 40 songs ranks the most listening pop singles and tracks in Brazil.
Brasil Hot Popular Songs	Brazilian Hot 40 songs ranks the most listening national music styles singles and tracks in Brazil.
Eurochart Hot 100 Singles	The Eurochart Hot 100 Singles ranks the best selling singles in Europe by combining sales from various countries in Europe.
Greek Top 10 Chart	The Greek Top 10 Chart ranks the best selling digital singles and tracks in Greece.
Japan Hot 100	The Japan Hot 100 ranks the best selling singles and tracks in Japan.
Korea K-Pop Hot 100	The Korea K-Pop Hot 100 ranks the best selling singles and tracks in South Korea.
Turkey Top 20 Chart	Turkey Top 20 Chart ranks the best selling and the most listening foreign singles and tracks in Turkey.
Turkish Top 20 Chart	Turkish Top 20 Chart ranks the best selling and the most listening Turkish singles and tracks in Turkey.
Turkish Rock Top 20 Chart	Turkey Top 20 Chart ranks the best selling and the most listening Turkish rock singles and tracks in Turkey.
Global Dance Tracks	Global Dance Tracks is a weekly international survey of the songs that are most popular in dance clubs globally. It is compiled by Billboard exclusively from playlists submitted by nightclub disc jockeys who must apply and meet certain criteria to become Billboard-reporting DJs.

Discontinued charts

Chart Title	! Discontinued date	! Description
Country Single Sales	2005		* Ranks top selling commercial country singles
Pop 100			* Ranked songs by combining airplay focused on pop radio and sales	* The chart's importance is replaced by the Top 40 Mainstream chart
Pop 100 Airplay		* Measured pop radio airplay	* One of three component charts of the Pop 100

Albums

Chart Title	! Number ofpositions	! Description
			* Industry standard, includes albums from any genre.	* Includes both new and catalog albums.
Top Current Albums			* The same chart as Billboard 200, with catalog titles removed
Top Pop Catalog Albums			* An album becomes a catalog title when it is more than 18 months old and has fallen below position 100 on the ''Billboard 200''.
Top Internet Albums
Tastemakers			* Ranked albums based on "an influential panel of indie stores and small regional chains."
Top Digital Albums
			* Ranks albums from new artists/bands that have never attained the top 100 of Billboard 200.	* If an album reaches the top 100, it and any of the artist's/band's subsequent singles are ineligible for the chart.
Heatseekers Albums (East North Central)
Heatseekers Albums (Middle Atlantic)
Heatseekers Albums (Mountain)
Heatseekers Albums (Northeast)
Heatseekers Albums (Pacific)
Heatseekers Albums (South Atlantic)
Heatseekers Albums (South Central)
Heatseekers Albums (West North Central)
Top Independent Albums			* Ranks top 50 albums released through independent record labels.
Top Rock Albums
Top Alternative Albums
Top Hard Rock Albums
Top Folk Albums
Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Catalog Albums
Top Rap Albums
Top Country Albums
Top Country Catalog Albums
Top Bluegrass Albums
Top Latin Albums
Regional Mexican Albums
Latin Pop Albums
Tropical Albums
Latin Rhythm Albums
Top Classical Albums			* Traditional Classical albums
Top Classical Crossover Albums
Classical Albums			* Available only on billboard.com
Top Classical Budget Albums
Top Classical Midline Albums
Top Christian Albums
Top Gospel Albums
Top Christian & Gospel Albums
Top Jazz Albums			* Traditional Jazz albums
Top Contemporary Jazz
Jazz Albums			* Available only on billboard.com
Top Dance/Electronic Albums
Top Cast Albums			* Measuring sales of cast recordings
Top Comedy Albums
Top Compilation Albums
Top Holiday Albums			* see Best-selling Christmas/holiday albums in the United States
Top Kid Audio
Top New Age Albums
Top Reggae Albums
Top Soundtracks
Top World Albums			* Ranks biggest-selling world music albums, including catalog titles

Other charts

In December 2010, ''Billboard'' announced a new chart titled ''Social 50'', which ranks the most active artists on the world's leading social networking sites. The Social 50 chart tallies artists' popularity using their weekly additions of friends/fans/followers, along with weekly artist page views and weekly song plays on Myspace, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and iLike.

In January 2011, ''Billboard'' introduced another chart called ''Uncharted'', which lists new and developing artists, who are yet to appear on any major ''Billboard'' chart, "...regardless of their country of origin." The ranking is based on the views and fans on social networking websites like Myspace and Facebook. To appear on ''Uncharted'', the artists must be registered Myspace Music artists, and should not have appeared on any major ''Billboard'' charts before.

Further reading

Durkee, Rob. "American Top 40: The Countdown of the Century." Schriner Books, New York City, 1999.

Battistini, Pete, "American Top 40 with Casey Kasem The 1970s." ''Authorhouse.com'', January 31, 2005. ISBN 1-4184-1070-5

References

General

Specific

External links

Billboard charts available to view for free

Full list of charts that Billboard publishes for subscribers

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fr:Classement du Billboard lv:Billboard Tops ru:Чарты Billboard simple:Billboard charts tr:Billboard listeleri vi:Bảng xếp hạng Billboard

Coordinates	9°1′48″N38°44′24″N
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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Coordinates	9°1′48″N38°44′24″N
name	Kenny Rogers
background	solo_singer
birth name	Kenneth Donald Rogers
born	August 21, 1938
origin	Houston, Texas, U.S.
instrument	Vocals, guitar, bass guitar, harmonica
genre	Country, country pop, rock (with The First Edition)
occupation	Singer-songwriter, actor, record producer
years active	1958–present
label	Cue, Carlton, Mercury, United Artists, RCA, Reprise, Giant, Atlantic, Curb, Dreamcatcher, Capitol Nashville, WEA
associated acts	The New Christy Minstrels, The First Edition, Glen Campbell, Dolly Parton, Dottie West, Juice Newton, Sheena Easton, Kim Carnes
website	}}

Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers He was voted the "Favorite Singer of All-Time" in a 1986 joint poll by readers of both USA Today and People. He has received such awards as the AMAs, Grammys, ACMs and CMAs, as well as a lifetime achievement award for a career spanning six decades in 2003.

Later success includes the 2006 album release, ''Water & Bridges'', an across the board hit, that peaked at #5 in the Billboard Country Albums sales charts, also charting high in the Billboard 200. The first single from the album, "I Can't Unlove You," was also a chart hit. Remaining a popular entertainer around the world, the following year he completed a tour of the United Kingdom and the Ireland telling BBC Radio 2 DJ Steve Wright, his favorite hit was "The Gambler". He has also acted in a variety of movies and television shows, most notably the title roles in ''Kenny Rogers as The Gambler'' and the MacShayne series as well as his appearance on the Muppet Show.

Personal life

Rogers was born in Houston, Texas in 1938, the fourth of seven children born to Lucille (née Hester; d. 1991), a nurse, and Edward Floyd Rogers (d. 1975), a carpenter. Rogers graduated from Jefferson Davis High School in Houston.

Career

Early career

His career began in the mid-1950s, when he recorded with a doo-wop group called The Scholars who had some success with a single called "Poor Little Doggie". Rogers was not the lead singer of the group and after two more singles they disbanded when their leader went solo.

Now on his own, Kenneth Rogers (as he was billed then) followed the breakup with his own single, a minor solo hit called "That Crazy Feeling" (1958). After sales slowed down, Rogers joined a jazz group called The Bobby Doyle Trio, who got a lot of work in clubs thanks to a reasonable fan following and also recorded for Columbia Records. The group disbanded in 1965, and a 1966 jazzy rock single Rogers recorded for Mercury Records, called "Here's That Rainy Day" failed. Rogers also worked as a producer, writer and session musician for other performers; including country artists Mickey Gilley and Eddy Arnold. In 1966 he joined The New Christy Minstrels as a singer and double bass player.

Feeling that the Minstrels were not offering the success they wanted, Rogers and fellow members Mike Settle, Terry Williams and Thelma Camacho left the group. They formed The First Edition in 1967 (later renamed "Kenny Rogers and The First Edition"). They chalked up a string of hits on both the pop and country charts, including "Something's Burning", "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town", "Reuben James" and "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)". In his First Edition days, Rogers had something of a hippie image, with long brown hair, an earring, and pink sunglasses. Known affectionately in retrospect as "Hippie Kenny", Rogers had a much smoother vocal style than in his later career.

When the group split in 1976, Rogers launched his solo career. Rogers soon developed a more middle of the road sound, with a somewhat rough but tuneful voiced style that sold to both pop and country audiences; to date, he has charted more than 60 top 40 hit singles (including upwards of 25 #1's) and 50 of his albums have charted. His music has also been featured in top selling movie soundtracks, such as ''Convoy'', ''Urban Cowboy'' and ''The Big Lebowski''.

Solo career

thumb|Rogers in 1981.After leaving The First Edition in 1976, after almost a decade with the group, Rogers signed a solo deal with United Artists. Although producer Larry Butler had no doubts about Rogers's talent, he was advised by several colleagues not to sign Rogers, who some saw as a has-been. Nevertheless, Butler and Rogers began a partnership that would last four years.

Rogers first outing for his new label was ''Love Lifted Me''. The album charted and two singles "Love Lifted Me" and "While the Feeling's Good" were minor hits. The song "Runaway Girl" was featured in the motion picture ''Trackdown''. Later in 1976, Rogers issued his second album, the self-titled ''Kenny Rogers'', whose first single "Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got)", was another solo hit.

However, the single "Lucille" (1977) was a major hit, reaching number one on the pop charts in 12 countries, selling over five million copies, and firmly establishing Rogers's post-First Edition career. On the strength of "Lucille", the album ''Kenny Rogers'' reached #1 in the Billboard Country Album Chart. More success was to follow, including the multi-million selling album ''The Gambler'' and another international Number 1 single, "Coward of the County", taken from the equally successful album, ''Kenny''. In 1980, the Rogers/Butler partnership came to an end, though they would occasionally reunite: in 1987 on the album ''I Prefer the Moonlight'' and again in 1993 on the album ''If Only My Heart Had a Voice''.

In the late 1970s, Rogers teamed up with close friend and country singer Dottie West for a series of albums and duets. Together the duo had three hit albums, selling out stadiums and arenas while on tour. Their hits together "Every Time Two Fools Collide", "Anyone Who Isn't Me Tonight" and "What Are We Doin' in Love" became Country standards. Of West, Rogers stated in a 1995 TNN interview "She, more than anybody else I ever worked with, sang with such emotion that you actually believed what she sang." Rogers was with West when she died after sustaining injuries in a 1991 car accident. In 1995 he starred opposite Michele Lee in the CBS biopic ''Big Dreams and Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story''.

In 1980, his duet with Kim Carnes "Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer" became a major hit. Later in 1980 came his partnership with Lionel Richie who wrote and produced Rogers's #1 hit "Lady". Richie went on to write and produce Rogers's 1981 album ''Share Your Love'', a chart topper and commercial favorite featuring hits such as "I Don't Need You" (Pop #3), "Through the Years" (Pop #13), and "Share Your Love with Me" (Pop #14). His first Christmas album was also released that same year. In 1982, Rogers released the album ''Love Will Turn You Around''. The title track reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the country and AC charts. Shortly after he started working with producer David Foster in 1983 recording the smash Bob Seger cover "We've Got Tonight", a duet with Sheena Easton.

He went on to work with the Bee Gees to record and produce his 1983 hit album ''Eyes That See in the Dark'', featuring the title track and yet another #1 hit "Islands in the Stream", a duet with Dolly Parton. The Gibbs originally wrote the song for Marvin Gaye in an R&B; style, only later to change it for the Kenny Rogers album. The partnership with Bee Gees only lasted one album, which was not a surprise considering that Rogers's original intentions were to work with Barry Gibb in only one song but Barry insisted on them doing the entire album.

"Islands in the Stream", Rogers' duet with Dolly Parton, was the first single to be released from ''Eyes That See in the Dark'' in the United States, and it quickly went to #1 in the Billboard Hot 100 (it would prove to be the last country single to reach #1 on that chart until "Amazed" by Lonestar did so in 2000), as well as topping Billboard's country and adult contemporary singles charts; it was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipping two million copies in the US. Rogers would reunite with Parton in 1984 for a holiday album and TV special, ''Once Upon a Christmas'', as well as a 1985 duet "Real Love", which also topped the U.S. country singles chart.

Despite the "Islands in the Stream"s success, however, RCA insisted on releasing ''Eyes''' title track as the first UK single, and the song stalled at a disappointing #61 there, although it did stay in the top 100 for several weeks (when it was eventually released in the US, it was more successful, charting high on the Adult Contemporary chart and making the country top 30). "Islands in the Stream" was issued as a followup single in Britain and sold well, making #7. The album itself reached #1 on the country charts on both sides of the Atlantic and enjoyed multi-million sales. "Buried Treasure," "This Woman" and "Evening Star"/"Midsummer Nights" were also all successful singles from the album.

Shortly after came the album ''What About Me?'', a hit whose title track, a trio performance with James Ingram and Kim Carnes, was nominated for a Grammy award; the single "Crazy" (not to be confused with the Willie Nelson-penned Patsy Cline hit) topped the country charts. David Foster was to work again with Rogers in his 1985 album ''The Heart of the Matter'', although this time Foster was playing backing music rather than producing, a role given to George Martin. This album was another success, going to #1, with the title track making to the top ten category in the singles charts.

The next few years saw Rogers scoring several top country hits on a regular basis, including "Twenty Years Ago," "Morning Desire," "Tomb of the Unknown Love", among others. On 28 January 1985 Rogers was one of the 45 artists who recorded the worldwide charity song "We Are the World" to support hunger victims in Africa. The following year he played at Giants Stadium.

On January 1987, Rogers co-hosted the American Music Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. By 1988 to 1990, Rogers had In the 1990s Rogers continued to chart with singles such as "Crazy In Love", "If You Want To Find Love" and "The Greatest". His second Christmas album entitled "Christmas in America" was released in 1989 for Reprise Records. From 1991-94, Rogers hosted ''The Real West'' on A&E;, and on The History Channel since 1995 (Reruns only on The History Channel). He visited Miller's during this time period. From 1992-95, Rogers co-owned and headlined Branson, Missouri's 4,000 seat Grand Palace Theatre. In 1994, Rogers released his "dream" album titled ''Timepiece'' on Atlantic Records. It consisted of 1930s/40s jazz standards; it was the type of music he performed in his early days with The Bobby Doyle Three in Houston.

In 1996 he released an album ''Vote For Love'' where the public requested their favorite love songs and Rogers performed the songs (several of his own hits were in there). The album was the first for the TV shopping channel QVC's record label, onQ Music. The album, sold exclusively by QVC, was a huge success and was later issued in stores under a variety of different titles. It reached #1 in the UK country charts under the title ''Love Songs'' (a title also used for various compilations) and also crossed over into the mainstream charts.

In 1999 Rogers scored with the single "The Greatest", a song about life from a child's point of view (looked at through a baseball game). The song reached the top 40 of Billboard's Country singles chart and was a Country Music Television Number One video. It was on Rogers's album ''She Rides Wild Horses'' the following year (itself a top 10 success). In 1999, Rogers also produced a song, "We've Got It All", specifically for the series finale of the ABC show ''Home Improvement''. Not on any album, the recording sells for a high sum at auction.

Beyond the 1990s

In the 21st century, Rogers was back at #1 for the first time in more than a decade with the 2000 single "Buy Me a Rose", making him, at 61, the oldest artist in the history of country music to reach the chart summit. In doing so, he broke a 26-year-old record held by Hank Snow (who, in April 1974, was 59 years and 11 months old when he scored with "Hello Love"). Rogers held the record until 2003, when then 70-year-old Willie Nelson became the oldest artist to have a No. 1 on the country charts with his duet with Toby Keith, "Beer for My Horses". Rogers also released the critically acclaimed album ''Back to the Well''.

Although Rogers did not record new albums for a couple of years, he continued to have success in many countries with more greatest hits packages. In 2004 ''42 Ultimate Hits'', which was the first hits collection to span his days with the First Edition to the present, reached Number 6 on the American country charts and went gold. It also featured two new songs, "My World Is Over" with Whitney Duncan and "We Are the Same". "My World Is Over" was released as a single and was a minor hit. In 2005 ''The Very Best of Kenny Rogers'', a double album, sold well in Europe. It was the first new solo Kenny Rogers hits album to reach the United Kingdom for over a decade, despite many compilations there that were not true hits packages.

Rogers also signed with Capitol Records and had more success with the TV advertised release ''21 Number Ones'' in January 2006. Although this CD did contain 21 chart-toppers as the title claims (recorded between 1976 and the present day), this was not a complete collection of Rogers's #1 singles, omitting such singles as "Crazy in Love" and "What About Me?"

Much of his success was during the period from 1976 to 1983, when he was signed to United Artists and later Liberty. It is very rare for an artist of Rogers's age to be signed to a major label. Capitol followed ''21 Number Ones'' with Rogers's new studio album, ''Water And Bridges'', in March 2006 on the Capitol Nashville Records label. The first single from the album was "I Can't Unlove You" which peaked at #17 on the country charts, after spending over 6 months on the hit list, more than 50 years after he formed his first group and 38 years after his first major hit as leader of The First Edition; the song remains in recurrent airplay on some radio stations today. "I Can't Unlove You" was followed up with the second single from the album, "The Last Ten Years (Superman)", in September 2006. The third single, "Calling Me," which features Don Henley, became popular in early 2007, and was nominated for a Grammy Award at the 2007 Grammy Awards. Also in 2007, the 1977 "Kenny Rogers" album was re-issued as a double play CD, also featuring the 1979 "Kenny" album and this once again put Rogers's name into the sales charts worldwide. The following year, another compilation album ("A Love Song Collection") also charted. He currently lives in Atlanta.

As of 2011 Rogers has recorded 65 albums and sold over 190 million records.

On August 26, 2008, Rogers released "50 Years" exclusively at Cracker Barrel stores. The album includes some of Rogers's greatest hits, plus 3 new songs. The release is designed to celebrate Rogers's 50th year in the music business. However, it should be noted Rogers has been in the music business for more than 50 years including his releases with The Scholars, who recorded for a local label in Houston. 1958 was the year he signed his first recording deal with a major label. In 2007 the England national rugby union team team adopted Rogers song "The Gambler" as their unofficial 2007 Rugby World Cup anthem, after hearing prop Matt Stevens playing it in the team hotel. Before the Semi-final against France and the Final against South Africa, Rogers sent video messages of support to the team in light of them choosing his song. He offered to come to England and party with the team if they won the World cup.

In 2008 Rogers toured with his very popular Christmas Show. However, he decided to split the show up, making the first half his "best of" and the second half consisted of his Christmas songs. One such show was at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut.

In 2009 he toured the UK, playing in Cardiff CIA (March 27), Birmingham NIA (March 28), Manchester MEN (March 29), Newcastle Arena (March 30), Plymouth Pavilions (April 1), Nottingham Concert Hall (April 2), London Hammersmith Apollo (April 3) and Bournemouth BIC (April 4), with support band - Savannah Jack. In 2009, Kenny embarked on his 50th Anniversary Tour. The tour went around the United States, Britain and Ireland.

On April 10, 2010, a TV special was taped, ''Kenny Rogers: The First 50 Year''s. Dolly Parton and Lionel Richie were among those set to perform with Kenny during a show celebrating his contribution to country, blues and pop music, It took place at the MGM Grand in Foxwoods. This special is set debut on March 8, 2011 on Great American Country.

Outside music

Rogers also had success as an actor. His 1982 movie ''Six Pack'', in which he played a race-car driver, took more than $20 million at the US box office, while made-for-TV movies such as ''The Gambler'', ''Christmas in America'', and ''Coward of the County'' (based on hit songs of his) topped ratings lists.

As an entrepreneur, he collaborated with former Kentucky Fried Chicken CEO John Y. Brown, Jr. in 1991 to start up the restaurant chain Kenny Rogers Roasters. The chicken and ribs chain, which is similar to Boston Market, was famously featured in an episode of the NBC sitcom ''Seinfeld'' called "The Chicken Roaster". On the November 27, 1997, broadcast of ''Late Night with Conan O’Brien'', Rogers could not pick his chicken out in a taste test, claiming he preferred "greasy burgers."

Rogers and his restaurant were subjects of comedy from ''MADtv'', especially the impersonation done by Will Sasso; the sketch of the faux-Rogers hosting ''Jackass'' became popular on the Internet.

Rogers put his name to the Gambler Chassis Co., a Sprint car racing manufacturer started by C. K. Spurlock in Hendersonville, Tennessee. The company used the name from Rogers hit song ''The Gambler''. During the 1980s/90s, Gambler was one of the fastest and widely used Sprintcars with such drivers as Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell and Doug Wolfgang driving the cars to victory in the World of Outlaws and the famous Knoxville Nationals. Gambler sprintcars were also successful in Australia with drivers such as Garry Rush and Steve Brazier using Gamblers to win multiple Australian Sprintcar Championships.

Rogers appeared in a 2004 episode of Reno 911 as himself being subjected to incompetent security provided by starstruck sheriff's deputies to comical effect. In this episode, Deputy Garcia, who is obsessed with Rogers, reveals that he thinks that Rogers should focus all of his effort on acting, and "give that singing thing a rest for a while," because Garcia believes that Rogers could win an Oscar. In order to "protect" Rogers the deputies take down all of the posters announcing his appearance in Reno, when he finds out he angrily berates the deputies and leaves. He is then promptly shot and wounded by an obsessed fan played by Patton Oswalt, though he is only superficially wounded, and asks for "mall security".

Rogers is also the inspiration behind the pop culture website menwholooklikekennyrogers.com. The site features close to a thousand photos of men who look like the real Rogers, as well as tips on how to look like Rogers, places to spot Rogers look-alikes, and even a Kenny of the Month and sells t-shirts and buttons.

Marriages

Wanda Miller June 1, 1997 – present; 2 children

Marianne Gordon October 1, 1977 – 1993, divorced; 2 children

Margo Anderson October 1964 – 1976, divorced; 1 child

Jean Rogers October 1960 – 1963, divorced

Janice Gordon May 15, 1958 – April 1960, divorced; 1 child

Discography

Awards/Honors

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- ! Year ! Award ! Category |- | 2010 | American Eagle Award | American Eagle Award |- | 2009 | ACM Honors | Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award (w/ Jerry Reed, Randy Travis, Hank Williams Jr.) |- | 2007 | ASCAP Golden Note Award | ASCAP Golden Note Award |- | 2007 | CMT Music Awards | Album of the Year - ''Water & Bridges'' |- | 2005 | CMT Music Awards | Favorite All Time Country Duet - "Islands In the Stream" (w/ Dolly Parton) |- | 2004 | CMT's 100 Greatest Cheating Songs | "Ruby Don't Take Your Love to Town"- #6 |- | 2003 | International Entertainment Buyers Association | Lifetime Achievement Award |- | 2003 | CMT's 100 Greatest Country Songs | "The Gambler" - #26 |- | 2002 | CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music | Ranking - #19 |- | 2000 | TNN Music Awards | Career Achievement Award |- | 1999 | BBC's Greatest Country Singer | Ranking - #2 |- | 1988 | Grammy Awards | Best Duo Country Vocal Performance - "Make No Mistake She's Mine" (w/ Ronnie Milsap) |- | 1986 | USA Today | Favorite Singer of All Time |- | 1985 | American Music Awards | Favorite Country Album - ''Eyes That See In the Dark'' |- | 1985 | American Music Awards | Favorite Male Country Artist |- | 1983 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Single of the Year - "Islands In the Stream" (w/ Dolly Parton) |- | 1983 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Vocal Duet - (w/ Dolly Parton) |- | 1983 | American Music Awards | Favorite Pop/Rock Country Artist |- | 1983 | American Music Awards | Favorite Country Single - "Love Will Turn You Around" |- | 1983 | ASAP Awards | Favorite Single - "Islands In the Stream" (w/ Dolly Parton) |- | 1982 | American Music Awards | Favorite Country Album - ''Greatest Hits'' |- | 1981 | American Music Awards | Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist |- | 1981 | American Music Awards | Favorite Country Album - ''The Gambler'' |- | 1981 | American Music Awards | Favorite Country Single - "Coward of the County" |- | 1980 | American Music Awards | Favorite Male Country Artist |- | 1980 | American Music Awards | Favorite Country Album - ''The Gambler'' |- | 1980 | Music City News Country | Single of the Year |- | 1979 | American Music Awards | Favorite Male Country Artist |- | 1979 | American Music Awards | Favorite Country Album - ''10 Years of Gold'' |- | 1979 | Country Music Association Awards | Male Vocalist of the Year |- | 1979 | Country Music Association Awards | Vocal Duo of the Year - (w/ Dottie West) |- | 1979 | Country Music Association Awards | Album of the Year - ''The Gambler'' |- | 1979 | Music City News Country | Male Artist of the Year |- | 1979 | Music City News Country | Single of the Year - "The Gambler" |- | 1979 | Grammy Awards | Best Male Country Vocal Performance - "The Gambler" |- | 1978 | American Music Awards | Favorite Single - "Lucille" |- | 1978 | Country Music Association Awards | Vocal Duo of the Year - (w/ Dottie West) |- | 1978 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Entertainer of the Year |- | 1978 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Male Vocalist |- | 1977 | Country Music Association Awards | Single of the Year - "Lucille" |- | 1977 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Male Vocalist |- | 1977 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Single of the Year - "Lucille" |- | 1977 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Song of the Year - "Lucille" |- | 1977 | Grammy Awards | Best Male Country Vocal Performance - "Lucille" |}

Record labels

The following is a list of record labels to which Rogers signed:

Cue (1957, with the band The Scholars and also as a solo singer)

Carlton (1958, solo deal)

KenLee (one single, label owned by Rogers and his brother Lelan)

Columbia (1960s, with jazz combo, The Bobby Doyle Three)

Reprise (1967, with The First Edition, all material recorded during this time has since been acquired by Universal Music)

Jolly Rogers (1973, with The First Edition, label was owned by Rogers)

United Artists (1975, solo deal)

Liberty (1980, United Artists merged into EMI/Capitol in 1980; some pressings of albums were issued on Capitol's imprint labels, EMI, EMI America, and EMI Manhattan.)

RCA (1983, solo deal)

Reprise (1989, solo deal)

Giant (1993, one solo album)

Atlantic (1994, one solo album)

onQ Music (1996, one solo album; onQ Music was created by the QVC Network to release exclusive albums for sale only on QVC. The first onQ release was Rogers's Vote for Love, a two-disc set that would later become available in standard retail stores.)

Magnatone (1996, solo deal)

Dreamcatcher (1998, solo deal; Dreamcatcher was owned and run by Rogers and Jim Mazza for the purpose of releasing Rogers albums and certain reissues of Rogers's catalog. Other artists such as Marshall Dyllon and Randy Dorman were released on Dreamcatcher Records, also. The label closed in 2004)

Capitol Nashville (2004, solo deal)

See also

Brady Hawkes

References

External links

Official website

delafont.com profile

[ Allmusic.com profile]

CMT.com profile

Kenny Rogers's Classic Weekend 1988

Goldsmith, Thomas. (1998). "Kenny Rogers". In ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music''. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 455–6.

Category:1938 births Category:American country singer-songwriters Category:American male singers Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Capitol Records artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Houston, Texas Category:University of Houston alumni Category:The First Edition members Category:United Artists Records artists

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Coordinates	9°1′48″N38°44′24″N
Name	Kellie Pickler
Birth name	Kellie Dawn Pickler
Background	solo_singer
Birth date	June 28, 1986
Origin	Albemarle, North Carolina, United States
Genre	Country
Occupation	Singer-songwriter
Years active	2006–present
Label	BNA / 19 Recordings
Associated acts	Catherine BrittTaylor SwiftCarrie Underwood
Website	Official Kellie Pickler Site }}

Kellie Dawn Pickler (born June 28, 1986) is an American country music artist and television personality. She gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of the Fox reality show ''American Idol'', eventually finishing in sixth place. In 2006, she signed to 19 Recordings and BNA Records as a recording artist, releasing her debut album, ''Small Town Girl'', later that year. To date, it has sold over 800,000 copies. The album, which was certified gold by the RIAA, produced three singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts: "Red High Heels" at #15, "I Wonder" at #14, and "Things That Never Cross a Man's Mind" at #16. She released her self-titled second album in Fall 2008 and has produced the singles "Don't You Know You're Beautiful" at #21, "Best Days of Your Life" at #9 (which she co-wrote with Taylor Swift and her first Top 10 hit), "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You" at #14, and "Makin' Me Fall in Love Again" at #30. In 2010, she was ranked as the 7th best ''American Idol'' alumnus.

Early life

Pickler was born at Stanly Memorial Hospital in Albemarle, North Carolina, to Cynthia Morton and Clyde "Bo" Raymond Pickler, Jr. Her mother left when Kellie was 2. She came back and got custody for two years, but the court returned Kellie to her grandparents when she was 12, as her father was in and out of jail during her childhood. Therefore, she was raised by her grandparents. She cites the major influences in her life as her grandfather, a former electrician Clyde Raymond Pickler, Sr., and grandmother Faye Pickler. She was raised in Albemarle, North Carolina, a small town near Charlotte, North Carolina. She has a half brother named Eric, a half sister, Courtney, and a half brother, Michael; however, she has never met Michael. After her grandmother's death from lung cancer in January 2002, she continued to reside with her grandfather and her younger sibling Eric until she became a contestant on ''Idol''. Pickler graduated in 2004 from North Stanly High School in New London, North Carolina. She was a cheerleader and beauty queen. She sang "On the Side of Angels" by LeAnn Rimes at her high school graduation.

She worked as a waitress at a Sonic Drive-In franchise and, in 2005, she made an appearance on WSOC-TV's ''Gimme the Mike! Charlotte'' contest. She finished in second place. She participated in the Miss America circuit and won the "Miss Stanly County" pageant at age 17 and subsequently competed for Miss North Carolina 2004. She dropped out and later focused on paralegal studies.

''American Idol''

The 19-year-old Pickler auditioned for ''American Idol'' in the fall of 2005 in Greensboro, North Carolina. She sang both Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" and Martina McBride's "A Broken Wing". The judges sent her to Hollywood. Pickler advanced through the semi-final rounds in February. On March 9, she reached the Top 12.

Pickler was among judge Simon Cowell's favorites. He once predicted Pickler would be in the final three, and said he preferred her over the previous season's winner, Carrie Underwood. Recognized for her "quirky" personality and Southern charm, Pickler gained attention on the show by saying that she had hardly ever performed before real audiences, and by mispronouncing words. She was compared to Jessica Simpson in a March 27 story in ''US Weekly'' magazine titled "Kellie: The Next Jessica Simpson", due to her "sweet Southern style and ditzy demeanor". Pickler has stated several times that she was not heavily exposed to modern pop culture.

Performances and results (during voting weeks)

! Week #	! Theme	! Song choice	! Original artist	! Result
Top 24 (12 Women)	N/A	"How Far"	Martina McBride	Safe
Top 20 (10 Women)	N/A		Bonnie Raitt	Safe
Top 16 (8 Women)	N/A	"I'm the Only One"	Melissa Etheridge	Safe
Top 12	Stevie Wonder	"Blame It on the Sun"	Stevie Wonder	Safe
Top 11	The 1950s	"Walkin' After Midnight"	Patsy Cline	Safe
Top 10	Songs from The 21st Century	"Suds in the Bucket"	Sara Evans	Safe
Top 9			Bobbie Gentry	Safe
Top 8		"Bohemian Rhapsody"	Queen	Safe
Top 7	Great American Songbook	"Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered"	Vivienne Segal	Safe
Top 6	Love songs	"Unchained Melody"	Todd Duncan	Eliminated

Post-''Idol'' career

After her elimination, she appeared in numerous shows promoting the TV show and performed the song "Walkin' After Midnight" in some of her appearances.

On May 6, 2006, she returned to Albemarle, North Carolina, for a parade and a reunion with her father. She received a key to the city from the mayor of Albemarle. The mayor also proclaimed the day as "Kellie Pickler Day". Pickler also received numerous awards from local and statewide government officials praising her accomplishments as a contestant on the ''American Idol'' television show.

Pickler pursued her recording aspirations in Nashville, Tennessee, shortly thereafter. On July 17, 2006, she signed a record deal with 19 Recordings/BNA Records. She later announced it herself on ''The View''. She was part of the ''American Idols LIVE! Tour 2006'', performing for three months in various cities. During that period, Pickler worked on her album in collaboration with top industry experts in different cities wherever the tour took her.

2006–2007: ''Small Town Girl''

Her first single, "Red High Heels", debuted on September 13, 2006, and its music video was officially released on October 20, 2006. It received a nomination for the CMT Video Awards for "Breakthrough Video of the Year".

Her debut album, ''Small Town Girl'', released on October 31, 2006, topped Billboard's Top Country Albums and landed at #9 on Billboard Top 200 selling over 79,000 copies in its first week, making Pickler the highest-selling first-week sales for a new artist in 2006. The album includes five songs that Pickler co-wrote with songwriters Chris Lindsey, Aimee Mayo, and Karyn Rochelle.

On January 18, 2007, Pickler co-hosted ''The View'' and was presented with a gold record by Rosie O'Donnell, certifying that her album has reached the 500,000 sales mark. She also performed her second single "I Wonder", which is a personal song about her absent relationship with her mother, Cynthia Morton. It was the first performance of the song on national TV.

Pickler was nominated for "Top New Female Vocalist" for the 42nd Academy of Country Music Awards.

She was also part of Brad Paisley's "Bonfires & Amplifiers" concert tour from April 2007 through October as one of the opening acts. The tour was booked in at least 37 cities across North America including a couple of stops in Canada.

Pickler appeared in country music artist Brad Paisley's music video "Online" in 2007.

On September 2007, Pickler released a version of "Santa Baby" for a Christmas country compilation. A month later, at the ASCAP Awards in Nashville, Pickler received a songwriter award for co-writing her debut single "Red High Heels". She performed her second single, "I Wonder", at the 2007 CMA Awards. During the performance, she was visibly overcome with emotion and struggled to even finish the song before bursting into tears. The performance received a standing ovation. She was also nominated for the Horizon Award. The performance led her to receive 3 CMT awards the following April.

In November 2007, Pickler appeared on a Celebrity Edition of the quiz show ''Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?'', playing for the charities of her choice (American Red Cross and the AARP's Grandparenting Program). Worth a guaranteed $25,000, she was asked, "Budapest is the capital of what European country?". She replied, "This might be a stupid question… I thought Europe ''was'' a country." She voiced that it might be a place where people spoke French, and then was repeatedly confused as to whether France really was a country or not. When told the answer was Hungary, she did not believe the host. She said, "Hungry? That's a country? I've heard of Turkey, but Hungry? I've never heard of it." While on her first USO concert tour in Iraq, Pickler met a few people from Budapest, Hungary, who presented her with a flag of their country.

2008–2010: ''Kellie Pickler''

While "Things That Never Cross a Man's Mind" was climbing the country charts (it eventually reached #16), Pickler returned to the studio to record her second studio album for 19 Recordings/BNA Records. She performed the debut single, "Don't You Know You're Beautiful" at the ACM Awards on May 18, 2008 and received a good response from the audience. She was nominated for "Top New Female Vocalist", but the award went to Taylor Swift.

"Don't You Know You're Beautiful" was released to radio in June 2008 and was a Top 25 hit for Pickler, peaking eventually at #21. Her second album, ''Kellie Pickler'', was released on September 30, 2008 and debuted at the top of the country chart, as well as #9 on the Billboard 200, selling over 43,000 copies in its first week. It matched the debuting spots of her first album, ''Small Town Girl''.

On November 12, 2008, Pickler performed the second single off her album, "Best Days of Your Life" at the CMA Awards. She was also nominated for "New Artist Of The Year" for the second year in a row, but lost to Lady Antebellum. "Best Days of Your Life" made its radio debut in November 2008, and debuted at #56. The song climbed very slowly up the chart, but ended up becoming Pickler's first Top 10 hit on the Hot Country Songs chart. After nearly 40 weeks on the chart, the song peaked at #9 in August 2009. A music video was made by Roman White, featuring Taylor Swift, who co-wrote and sang background harmony vocals on the song.

Pickler was nominated for "Female Video Of The Year" at the 2009 CMT Music Awards for "Don't You Know You're Beautiful". She lost once again to Taylor Swift. She also presented the award for "USA Weekend Breakthrough Video Of The Year" with ''Idol'' judge Randy Jackson.

Pickler accompanied Taylor Swift on the first leg of her Fearless Tour 2009. In June, she launched her first ever headline concert tour in promotion of her self-titled album. On October 8, it was announced that Pickler will be part of the second leg of ''Fearless Tour''.

"Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You", a re-recording from Picklers' first album ''Small Town Girl'', was released as the album's third single on August 30, 2009. The song debuted at #55 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart, and became her fifth Top 20 hit, peaking at #14 in February 2010.

On October 26, Pickler won the title of Country Weekly's poll of most beautiful woman in country music for the second year in a row. Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood were the second and third places, respectively.

"Making Me Fall In Love Again" was released as the album's fourth single on April 19, 2010. It debuted at #53 and peaked at #30.

2011–present: Third studio album

It was announced that Kellie's third album will be produced by Frank Liddell, known for producing country artist Miranda Lambert's albums. "Tough," the lead-off single to Pickler's third album, was released on June 13, 2011.

Personal life

Pickler's father, whom she describes as an alcoholic and drug addict, recently served a three-year, nine-month prison sentence at Florida State Prison for aggravated assault and battery stemming from a 2003 stabbing incident. He was released on May 6, 2006, a week after her elimination from ''Idol''.

Pickler's mother was repeatedly charged with writing bad checks and was convicted in 1988 for passing a forged prescription for Valium at the Albemarle Wal-Mart, where she worked. The day after Pickler's second birthday, her parents split up. A year later, in July 1989, her mother vanished. When her father would get locked up, Pickler would live with her grandparents, outside Albemarle, which is 45 miles northeast of Charlotte. In 1992, her mother returned to Albemarle, but rarely made contact with her daughter Kellie. But in March 1995, with Bo Pickler in prison for armed robbery, her mother was granted custody. Kellie was in the fourth grade. "She got custody of me for two years," Kellie said in a February interview with The Observer. "During that time, she was physically and mentally abusive of me." In a 1997 court filing, Kellie's grandparents said her mother had moved to Union County with the girl and treated the child harshly. The court restored custody to the grandparents. Her mother vanished again, and Kellie hasn't heard from her since. In an April 2006 interview with NBC Kellie said "One thing that's so important in life is we learn to forgive others. I ask the Lord every day to forgive me for my sins and for things that I've done wrong. And who am I to not forgive someone for what they've done?" said Kellie. "I have forgiven her. I know that I haven't spoken to her in years and I probably wouldn't know her if I saw her. But she's my mother and she's a person. God tells us to love everyone. And I love her. She's my mother."

On February 26, 2007, she met her personal 'idol' and strongest influence, the country music superstar Dolly Parton. The surprise was arranged by Sony BMG Nashville chairman Joe Galante.

In 2007, Pickler was in a relationship with Nashville Predators player Jordin Tootoo and visited his family in Nunavut, Canada. Later that year, the two broke up.

Pickler's best friend has been Summer Miller, who Pickler met when they were teen pageant hopefuls. Pickler is close friends with ''American Idol'' fourth season winner Carrie Underwood, country pop singer Taylor Swift, the latter of whom co-wrote Pickler's second single "Best Days of Your Life" from her album ''Kellie Pickler'', with her ''American Idol'' roommate Katharine McPhee, for whom she was a bridesmaid at McPhee's 2008 wedding and also with songwriter Aimee Mayo.

In June 2008, she joined close friend Carrie Underwood, a long-time vegetarian, in giving up eating meat. Pickler says she first decided to go vegetarian for health reasons, but a TV ad that vegetarian Pamela Anderson did for animal rights group PETA piqued her curiosity. "One night I couldn't sleep and I was up and just Googling random stuff and I'm like, 'Hmmm, PETA.' I saw all the videos and I just thought it was horrible. It's animal cruelty. A lot of it has to do with knowing what happens to the animals and it really bothered me and so I will not eat meat." In May 2009, it was announced that Pickler was nominated and won the title of "World's Sexiest Vegetarian" by PETA.

After two and a half years of dating, Pickler became engaged to songwriter Kyle Jacobs on June 15, 2010, the day of her late grandmother's birthday, after he proposed on a beach at sunset. Pickler and Jacobs eloped on January 1, 2011 in a "small, intimate ceremony on a private island in the Caribbean".

Philanthropy

Pickler actively supports St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, where she helps raise funds and gives kids special visits. She also participates in charitable events to help raise funds for various organizations. She has performed to help raise funds for the "N.C. Children's PROMISE" to benefit the Children's Hospital on Nov. 12, 2006, to help refurbish the Hurricane Katrina damaged NFL Youth Education Towns Boys & Girls Club of New Orleans on December 16, 2006, visited St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on January 12, 2007, and visited Pennington Elementary School on February 1, 2007. “When you’re able to give back to your communities and organizations like St. Jude, it’s a great thing,” Pickler said. “It’s been a great experience, and I encourage anyone and everyone to help.”

Pickler was part of a Country and Western artist studded online auction for charity by Mario Magro: Kiss for a Cause Foundation Celebrity Auction held June 15–25, 2007, in support of orphaned and abandoned children. The event auctioned off celebrity lip prints and signatures pressed on the inside of Mario Magro Crystal Le Coop handbags at the 42nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

She has participated in three USO tours. The first, in late 2007 and early 2008, took her to Iraq; the second, in December 2008, included stops in Germany, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, and England. In January 2010, Pickler made stops in Iraq and Kuwait on a 10-day tour with Randy Houser and Jamey Johnson. The three country stars "played remote bases on the front lines of the war zone, and the sound of gun fire became their frequent companion at night."

In early August 2009, Pickler participated in ABC's ''Extreme Makeover: Home Edition'''s rebuilding of James Terpenning's family home in Beavercreek, Ohio. Pickler performed a free concert at the home, and helped during reconstruction.

Discography

;Albums

2006: ''Small Town Girl''

2008: ''Kellie Pickler''

Awards and nominations

+ Awards and nominations
! Year	! Presenter	! Award	! Result
2011		Female Country Artist
2010		Songwriter award for "Best Days of Your Life" (most performed country songs of the year)
	Female Video of the Year: "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You"
Collaborative Video of the Year: "Best Days of Your Life" (with Taylor Swift)
	Female Artist Single of the Year: "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You"
Female Music Video: "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You"
! 2009	CMT Music Awards	Female Video of The Year: "Don't You Know You're Beautiful"
2008		Breakthrough Video of The Year: "I Wonder"
Tearjerker Video of The Year: "I Wonder"
Performance of The Year: "I Wonder @ CMA Awards"
	Top New Female Vocalist of The Year
Country Music Association Awards	New Artist of the Year
American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers
2007	CMT Music Awards	Breakthrough Video of The Year: "Red High Heels"
	Top New Female Vocalist Of The Year
Country Music Association Awards	Horizon Award
American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers	Songwriter award for "Red High Heels" (most performed country songs of the year)

Tours

''Still Feels Good Tour'' (2007) with Rascal Flatts

''Bonfires & Amplifiers Tour'' (2007–2008) with Brad Paisley

''Love on the Inside Tour'' (2008) with Sugarland

''Fearless Tour'' (2009–2010) with Taylor Swift

''American Living Unstoppable Tour'' (2010) with Rascal Flatts

''Nothing Like This Tour'' (2010) with Rascal Flatts

References

External links

Official website

Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:American beauty pageant winners Category:American Idol participants Category:American country singers Category:American female singers Category:American vegetarians Category:Beauty pageant contestants from North Carolina Category:BNA Records artists Category:Musicians from North Carolina Category:People from Stanly County, North Carolina

de:Kellie Pickler fr:Kellie Pickler id:Kellie Pickler it:Kellie Pickler hu:Kellie Pickler nl:Kellie Pickler pt:Kellie Pickler ru:Пиклер, Келли fi:Kellie Pickler sv:Kellie Pickler tr:Kellie Pickler uk:Келлі Піклер

Coordinates	9°1′48″N38°44′24″N
Name	LeAnn Rimes
Birth name	Margaret LeAnn Rimes
Alias	LeAnn Rimes Cibrian
Birth date	August 28, 1982
Birth place	Jackson, Mississippi, United States
Origin	Dallas, Texas
Genre	Country, pop
Occupation	Singer, songwriter, actress, author
Years active	1994–present
Label	Asylum-Curb
Associated acts	Ronan Keating, Brian McFadden, Marc Broussard,Eddie Cibrian
Website	Official Website }}

LeAnn Rimes (born August 28, 1982) is an American country musician. She is known for her rich vocals and her rise to fame at the age of 13—becoming the youngest country music star since Tanya Tucker in 1972.

Rimes made her breakthrough into country music in 1996. Her debut album, ''Blue'', reached Number 1 on the Top Country Albums chart and was certified "multi-platinum" in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album's lead single of the same name (originally intended to be recorded by Patsy Cline in the early 1960s) became a Top 10 hit. With immediate success, Rimes attained widespread national acclaim for her similarities to Cline's vocal style. When Rimes released her sophomore studio effort in 1997, ''You Light up My Life: Inspirational Songs'', Rimes went more towards country pop material, which would set the trend for a string of albums that would be released into the next decade.

Since her debut, Rimes has won many major industry awards, which include two Grammys, three ACMs, one CMA, twelve Billboard Music Awards, and one American Music award. In addition, Rimes has also released ten studio albums and four compilation albums through her record label of 13 years, Asylum-Curb, and placed over 40 singles on American and international charts since 1996. She has sold over 37 million records worldwide, with 20.3 million album sales in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Early life

Born Margaret LeAnn Rimes (in Pearl, Mississippi), she is the only child of Belinda Butler Rimes and Wilbur Rimes. The family relocated to Garland, Texas when she was six years old. She was singing by the age of two, was enrolled into vocal and dance training, and by the age of five was performing at local talent shows. One of her best friends, Jordan Villarreal, supported her when she sang. Rimes initially began her career in musical theatre, performing in a Dallas, Texas production of ''A Christmas Carol,'' and almost landed the lead part in the Broadway production of ''Annie.'' However, after appearing on the network television competition show, ''Star Search,'' Rimes decided to pursue a career in country music. Following her national television appearance, Rimes made a number of appearances on ''Johnnie High's Country Music Revue'' in Arlington, Texas, which garnered the attention of national talent scouts.

By the age of nine, LeAnn was already an experienced singer. She toured nationally with her father and also regularly performed a cappella renditions of "The Star Spangled Banner" at the opening ceremonies of the Dallas Cowboys football games. In order to bring his daughter more national attention, he began recording her under the independent label Nor Va Jak when she turned eleven. She released three albums under the label between 1992 and 1996.

Rimes was discovered by Dallas disc jockey and record promoter, Bill Mack. Mack was impressed by Rimes' vocal ability, and over the following three years, he also made various attempts to bring Rimes to a mainstream level. The center of Mack's plan to bring her success was his self-penned composition, "Blue," which he had written in the early 1960s. Mack claimed that the song was intended to be recorded and made a hit record by Patsy Cline, but she had been killed in a plane crash before ever recording the composition. By 1995, Mack was able to gain Rimes a contract with Curb Records, after record executives heard Rimes sing "Blue."

Music career

1996: ''Blue''

After signing with Curb, Rimes re-recorded a new version of "Blue" that was to be released on her debut studio album on the label. In 1996, the new version of "Blue" was released as a single, peaking at Number 10 on the Billboard Country Chart. While Curb was releasing "Blue," a claim was also sent out that Mack had been waiting over 30 years to find the perfect artist to record "Blue." However, the story was later found to be an exaggeration, as it was discovered that "Blue" had already been recorded by three different artists. Mack himself and Kenny Roberts both released versions of the song on Starday Records in the 1960s. In 1993, Australian artist Catherine Britt released her own version as a single in her native country. The story, though, was continually spread throughout the national press, adding to the idea that Rimes was the successor to Patsy Cline's legacy. Rimes's album ''Blue'' was also released in 1996, and sold 123,000 copies in its first week, which was the highest figure in SoundScan history up to that point. The album peaked at Number 1 on the Top Country Albums and debuted at Number 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, eventually selling a total of four million copies in the United States and 8 million copies worldwide. Allmusic considered the album to be "delightful" and that it could "help inspire other young teens." Rimes followed up the single with several charting country singles from her 1996 album, starting with "One Way Ticket (Because I Can)", which reached Number 1 on the Billboard Country Chart in 1996. She also released a duet single with Eddy Arnold from the album, a remake of his 1955 hit "The Cattle Call". The album's other hits included the Top 5 "The Light in Your Eyes" and the minor hit "Hurt Me."

With the album's success, Rimes received many major industry awards. In 1997, she won the Country Music Association's "Horizon Award," becoming the youngest person to ever be nominated and win a Country Music Association award. The following year she was awarded Grammy awards, one for ''Best New Artist'' and another for ''Best Female Country Vocal Performance'' for "Blue."

1997–2001: Pop crossover and Worldwide Success

In 1997, Rimes released a compilation of previously recorded material under the Nor Va Jak label, ''Unchained Melody: The Early Years''. The album mainly consisted of cover versions, ranging from Country to pop covers, including songs originally recorded by The Beatles, Whitney Houston, Bill Monroe, and Dolly Parton. Rimes' version of the title track became a major country hit in early 1997 and helped increase sales for the album. In September 1997, Rimes released her follow-up studio album to ''Blue'' titled ''You Light up My Life: Inspirational Songs''. The album covered classic inspirational songs, such as "Clinging to Saving a Hand" and "Amazing Grace". It also featured pop music remakes of songs such as Debby Boone's "You Light up My Life" and Bette Midler's "The Rose". The album was a departure from Rimes' previous releases as it contained more Adult Contemporary-styled music than Country. The album sold over four million copies in the United States, certifying 4× Multi-Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album contained the single "How Do I Live", which became a major pop hit on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching Number 2. "How Do I Live" set a new record for becoming the longest-running single in Billboard Hot 100 history, spending 69 weeks on the chart. The song was originally recorded for the film ''Con Air'', along with a version also recorded by Trisha Yearwood. Yearwood's manager at the time had told the press that Rimes's version sounded "too pop". Therefore Rimes's version received little country airplay (only reaching Number 43) and was rejected for the film. Yearwood's rendition was released to country radio shortly afterwards, peaking at Number 2 on the Billboard Country Chart in 1997, becoming the country hit instead of Rimes's version.

Rimes released her third album for Curb in May 1998, ''Sittin' on Top of the World''. The album leaned more progressively towards Adult Contemporary and mid-tempo pop music. It included pop material written by Carol Bayer Sager and David Foster. It also included a remake of Prince's "Purple Rain" and was produced by her father. The album was given mixed reviews. Allmusic gave the album two out of five stars. ''Rolling Stone'' said Rimes vocal style "holds her own in the more popular style of Mariah Carey and Celine Dion, wherein a spectacular voice upstages a song, grins and goes on about her business." Upon its release, ''Sittin' on Top of the World'' debuted at Number 2 on the Top Country Albums chart, and Number 3 on the Billboard 200, and sold over a million copies in the United States, certifying "Platinum" in sales by the RIAA. The album spawned the Number 4 Country hit "Commitment", the Top 20 Pop hit "Looking Through Your Eyes", and the Number 10 country hit "Nothin' New Under the Moon".

Rimes released her fourth studio album for Curb, ''LeAnn Rimes'', in October 1999, a collection of country standards. The album covered songs mainly by Patsy Cline – which included "Crazy", "I Fall to Pieces", and "She's Got You" – that were primarily taken from her ''12 Greatest Hits'' album. The album also covered Marty Robbins's "Don't Worry" and Kris Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee". The album included one new song, "Big Deal". The song gained many positive reviews. Allmusic called the song, "a return to her roots" and "a salute to one of her idols, Patsy Cline." The album in general received much praise. Allmusic called the album one of her "better" efforts, since they had disliked her previous releases. ''Entertainment Weekly'' gave the album a positive review and said that Rimes's voice, "dares listeners to take note of what is missing in her interpretations -- the gutsiness and gut-wrenching urgency of performers who felt what they sang." The album was a major success like her previous releases, debuting at Number 1 on the Top Country Albums chart, topping the country albums chart for two weeks. In addition, it also peaked at Number 8 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The album also sold over one million copies in the United States, and was certified "Platinum" in sales by the RIAA. The album's new song, "Big Deal", was the lead single off the album, and became a Top 10 country hit that year, peaking at Number 6. Also in 1999, Rimes recorded a duet with Elton John for the stage musical ''Aida'', titled "Written in the Stars". The song became a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The album would spawn a second single, a cover of Cline's "Crazy" that was released outside of the United States.

In January 2001, Rimes released her sixth studio album, ''I Need You'', an album aimed at the pop market. The album topped the Top Country Albums chart for one week, and also peaked at Number 10 on the Billboard 200. ''I Need You'' did not garner praise from many critics and was mainly given negative reviews. ''Rolling Stone'' gave the album two and a half out of five stars and called the album, "synthetic-feeling." Despite very little praise from critics, the album was sold well, certifying "Gold" in sales by the RIAA. Rimes would later go on to publicly disown the album, which she stated was compiled together from studio outtakes her father had produced. The album's lead single, "I Need You" – which was characterized by Allmusic as having similarities to that of Adult Contemporary and Pop music — was originally recorded for the TV movie ''Jesus''. The song became a Top 10 country hit and also a major pop hit, reaching Number 11 on the Hot 100. Also included on the album was the song "Can't Fight the Moonlight", released from the soundtrack of the film ''Coyote Ugly''. The song was released as the album's second single in 2001, and by February 2002 the song became a crossover Pop hit, reaching Number 11 in United States and becoming the highest selling single of 2001 in Australia. "Can't Fight the Moonlight" won Rimes a ''Blockbuster Entertainment Award'' for "Favorite Song from a Movie." In mid-October 2001, Curb released a compilation of patriotic and inspirational songs, titled ''God Bless America'', in order to benefit the disaster recovery for the September 11 attacks. It included the title track, as well as inspirational songs such as "The Lord's Prayer" and "The Sands of Time".

2002–2004: ''I Need You'', ''Twisted Angel'', Greatest Hits

In February 2002 Rimes re-released the ''I Need You'' album with 9 of the songs originally released on the album, an extended version of the song You Are, the song Light the Fire Within which she sang at the Olympics the previous year and 4 bonus remixes. Rimes would later that year release her seventh album (sixth studio album) titled ''Twisted Angel,'' which contained more adult material. After battling managerial control over her career the previous year, ''Twisted Angel'' became the first album released by Rimes that was not produced by her father. Instead, Rimes executive produced the album. A month following the album's release, ''Twisted Angel'' was certified "Gold" by the RIAA, her second Gold-certified album. The album received mainly negative reviews by most music critics and magazines. Allmusic stated that the album could possibly "alieniate her from her original fans" and "the songwriting is a little uneven." ''Rolling Stone'' gave the album two out of five stars, stating that the album sounded too "country-pop crossover." The album peaked at Number 3 on the Top Country Albums chart and Number 12 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart. Three singles were spawned from the album between 2002 and 2003, however none of the singles were Top 40 hits on the country or pop charts. The lead single, "Life Goes on", reached the Top 40 only on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart, peaking at Number 19. The second single, "Tic Toc" was a Top 40 Dance club hit in 2003. The third single, "Suddenly" only peaked at 43 on the US Country charts, 47 on the UK charts and 53 on the Australian charts.

The following year when Rimes turned 21, she released a ''Greatest Hits'' compilation in November. The album recapped Rimes' major hits under Curb records from "Blue" in 1996, to "Life Goes on" in 2002. The album peaked at Number 3 on the Top Country Albums chart and Number 24 on the Billboard 200 in November. Featured on the album was the single, ''We Can'', which was originally released on the soundtrack of ''Legally Blonde 2'' in July 2003. The album would eventually be certified "Platinum" in 2007 The following year in October 2004, Rimes issued her first holiday-themed album titled, ''What a Wonderful World.''

2005–2006: Return to country; ''This Woman''

In January 2005, Rimes released her seventh studio album, ''This Woman,'' her first album of contemporary country music in many years. Although the album received mixed reviews from magazines and critics, it was Rimes's best-selling album in over five years, reaching Number 3 on the Billboard 200 and Number 2 on the Top Country Albums chart in 2005, selling more than 100,000 copies within its first week. Rimes explained to the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' that the album helped mature her as a person, "I have 10 years of experience, so it's tough to get anything past me in this business. I've become a very strong woman because of all I've gone through, good and bad." ''This Woman'' would eventually be certified "Gold" later in 2005, after selling more than 500,000 units nationwide. The album's singles were Rimes's first Top 10 hits on the Hot Country Songs chart in five years. The three singles released from the album — "Nothin' 'Bout Love Makes Sense", "Probably Wouldn't Be This Way", and "Something's Gotta Give" — all peaked within the Top 5 on the country charts between 2005 and 2006. From the album, Rimes was nominated for a Grammy award for ''Best Female Country Vocal Performance'' for "Something's Gotta Give". In addition, she was also nominated for an American Music Award for "Favorite Female Country Artist." In 2006, Rimes recorded a cover version of Barbara Mandrell's "If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don't Want to Be Right)", for a tribute album to Mandrell's career titled, ''She Was a Country When Country Wasn't Cool: A Tribute to Barbara Mandrell.'' Rimes also would record a track for Disneyland's fiftieth anniversary celebration album titled, "Remember When."

In summer 2006, Rimes released the studio album ''Whatever We Wanna,'' which was released exclusively outside of the United States and Canada. It was originally planned on being released in North America, however due to the success of ''This Woman,'' it was never released. The album spawned minor hits in the United Kingdom, including "And it Feels Like" and a duet with Brian McFadden titled, "Everybody's Someone". The album leaned more towards Pop Rock and R&B; music instead of country.

Rimes would release one final single in the US from her album ''This Woman'' in August 2006 called "Some People" which would peak at 34 on the US country charts.

2007–2009: ''Family''

Rimes took a two year break, and then released her next studio album in October 2007, ''Family''. The album was a mix of country, pop, and rock music, and included a duet with Bon Jovi, "Til We Ain't Strangers Anymore". ''Family'' was the first album released by Rimes in which every track was co-written by Rimes herself. ''Rolling Stone'' said the songs on the album are "uneven" and rated it three and half out of five stars. Allmusic gave ''Family'' four out of five stars and said that the album, "illustrates her range as a singer along with some true strength as a writer." The album helped nominate Rimes for the Academy of Country Music's "Top Female Vocalist" award in 2008. The album's lead single, "Nothin' Better to Do" was released in mid 2007, and peaked at Number 14 on the Billboard Country Chart before the end of the year. The album has released two singles to date; "Good Friend and a Glass of Wine" and "What I Cannot Change."

In 2008, Rimes toured with Kenny Chesney where she opened every show on his 2008 ''Poets and Pirates Tour'', along with other artists on select dates such as Brooks & Dunn, Keith Urban, Sammy Hagar, Gary Allan, Big & Rich, and Luke Bryan. In late 2008, Rimes was nominated for a Grammy award for ''Best Female Country Vocal Performance'' for "What I Cannot Change", the third single from the album. In 2008, she recorded ''For Good'' with Delta Goodrem for the ''Wicked 5th Anniversary'' album. LeAnn teamed up with Joss Stone for a CMT ''Crossroads'' special aired in fall 2007.

2010–present: ''Lady And Gentlemen''

Despite singing new material at several live shows earlier in the year, it was announced, on May 24, 2010 by Rimes via her Twitter account, that her new studio album would be a cover album of country songs, titled ''Lady and Gentlemen''. The first single from the album is a cover of John Anderson's 1983 single, "Swingin'. LeAnn first debuted the song at the 2010 CMT Music Awards. The single was released on June 8, 2010. According to LeAnn Rimes' official website, she is planning on re-recording her hit, "Blue" for the new album. She stated that she wants "the album to be perfect." Since she is doing this, the album would take a longer waiting time to come out. On November 8, 2010, LeAnn released her second single titled "Crazy Women" to radio. "Crazy Women," "Blue" and "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down" were announced, in the same post, as the three extra tracks that LeAnn went back in the studio to add to the album. A third single, "Give", (penned by Rimes) debuted at #60 in July 2011, released as the third single. Rimes announced via her Twitter account on July 17, 2011 that the new release date for her ''Lady and Gentlemen'' album would be September 27, 2011.

Musicianship

Vocal ability and musical stylings

Since her debut in 1996, Rimes' voice and vocal style have often been compared to and identified with Patsy Cline. Cline showed distinctive emotional expression in most of her material. Rimes has also used distinctive emotional expression in many of her songs, most notably her first single, "Blue", which was sung in the style of Cline. Rimes' vocal similarities to Cline had brought wide interest to the idea that Rimes was the successor to Cline's legacy, and brought her novelty appeal. Many music critics have argued that Rimes' vocals were only a reproduction of Cline's original sound, while others have disagreed. Allmusic has called Rimes' vocals "rich and powerful." Her vocal ability has also brought Rimes to comparisons to past teenage country stars, including 50s country star Brenda Lee and 70s country star Tanya Tucker. Rimes was also known for choosing mature material that was beyond her age range. In her first album, Rimes recorded such material as Deborah Allen's "My Baby", whose lyrics provocatively say, "my baby is a full-time lover, my baby is a full-grown man." Other material such as Diane Warren's "How Do I Live" had also been considered too mature for Rimes' age and was the main reason why her version of the song was not chosen to be used in the soundtrack for the film ''Con Air''.

Influences

Rimes has given credit to artists from various music genres, mainly from the genres of country and pop. She has stated that Barbra Streisand, Wynonna Judd, and Reba McEntire have been primary influences on her career. Rimes has stated the main influence on her career is Patsy Cline. She has covered many of Cline's hit songs since the beginning of her career. Her 1999 self-titled album is primarily a tribute to Cline, as Rimes recorded five out of ten songs for the album that had been hits for Cline years before.

Film and television

After beginning to date actor Andrew Keegan in 1998, Rimes said to the press that she had some ideas about possibly getting involved in an acting career. Rimes later moved to Los Angeles, California later in the year with her mother to pursue an acting career. That year Rimes played a role in the Made for television movie, ''Holiday in Your Heart,'' which is based on a book she had helped write. For participating in the film, Rimes was awarded the "Rising Star" award from the ''Lone Star Film & Television Awards.'' She made her official film debut in 2001 for ''Coyote Ugly'', providing the singing voice for Piper Perabo's character Violet Sanford and making a cameo appearance towards the end of the film. In addition, she also recorded four songs for the film's soundtrack, including the Top 20 Pop hit, "Can't Fight the Moonlight." In 2005 Rimes hosted the country music television competition, ''Nashville Star'' on the USA television network. However she only held the position for one season after deciding to depart from the show's cast.

In early June 2007, she was chosen at the last minute to record the leading song for the soundtrack of ''Evan Almighty'' called "Ready For A Miracle" (previously recorded by Patti LaBelle). The song can be heard in the movie, during the end credits, and in the trailers of ''Evan Almighty.'' Rimes played in the movie ''Good Intentions'' with her friend Elaine Hendricks which is filming near Atlanta, Georgia. Rimes plays Meg Galligan in the made for TV movie, ''Northern Lights'', based on the Nora Roberts novel of the same name. The film aired on the Lifetime network on March 12, 2009.

In 2007 Rimes began hosting The Colgate Country Showdown, a nation wide televised country music talent competition, similar to that of ''American Idol'' or ''Nashville Star''. In 2011 Rimes hosted the show for her 5th consecutive year, when the show switched sponsorship, to Texaco.

Personal life

Lawsuits

On May 21, 2000, Rimes filed a lawsuit against her father, Wilbur Rimes, and her former manager, Lyle Walker in Dallas, Texas. Rimes claimed that her father and former manager took over seven million dollars from her in the preceding five years. Rimes also alleged that both men made unreasonable fees and took advantage of Rimes's label, Asylum-Curb, in order to acquire financial gain. Rimes sought unspecified damages because her attorney was not sure of how much money had been lost in the preceding five years. According to Rimes's lawyer, her mother hired two accountants to investigate how much was taken from Rimes's fortune, and it was estimated that the men acquired around eight million dollars in royalties. In 2002, Rimes's lawsuit with her father was "settled on undisclosed terms." Rimes reconciled with her father for her wedding.

In November 2000, Rimes filed a second lawsuit against her label, Asylum-Curb. Rimes wanted permission to be released from the contract that was signed by her parents on Rimes's behalf when she originally signed with the label in 1995. She also wanted her label to turn over the rights of her music, video work, and publishing interests, and omit all of her recordings that were currently being distributed at the time of the lawsuit. Part of Rimes's legal battles ended in December 2001, when Asylum-Curb started a new contract with Rimes.

Marriage, divorce, and re-marriage

Amid the legal battles, Rimes fell in love with backup dancer Dean Sheremet. The two had met when he was chosen to dance during Rimes's hosting of the 2001 Academy of Country Music Awards. After her first date with Sheremet, Rimes told ''InStyle Magazine'': "This is the guy I want to marry." The couple married the next year, in 2002. In July 2009, the couple separated and in September 2009, Rimes announced their plans to divorce. The divorce was finalized on June 19, 2010, exactly six months after Sheremet filed divorce documents for dissolution of marriage.

Rimes is currently married to ''Northern Lights'' co-star Eddie Cibrian, with whom she had a well-publicized extramarital affair prior to the split from Sheremet. Cibrian, the father of two children, left his wife for Rimes and filed for divorce in August 2009, after eight years of marriage. In June 2010, Rimes spoke for the first time about the end of her first marriage, stating that, while she was sorry that people were hurt, she had no regrets about the outcome of the affair. On December 27, 2010, it was announced via ''Billboard'' that Rimes and Cibrian were engaged. The couple wed on April 22, 2011 at a private home in California.

Philanthropy

In 2008, she opened up about her lifelong struggle with the autoimmune disease psoriasis. She participated in a PSA to raise awareness about the disease.

Rimes lent her voice to the 2008 song "Just Stand Up." The proceeds benefited Stand Up to Cancer. As a result of SU2C fundraising endeavors, the SU2C scientific advisory committee, overseen by the American Association for Cancer Research, was able to award $73.6 million towards cancer research.

On December 19, 2010, she performed "The Rose," joined by The Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles in remembrance of the many gay teenagers who committed suicide in 2010. On her weblog she wrote on June 18, 2011: "I believe in equality for everyone. I believe everyone should have the right to love and commit to whomever they want. [...] All I know is that in God's eyes we are all the same. I just wish we could see through the eyes of God more often."

Wealth

According to "Celebrity Net Worth", Rimes has a current estimated net worth of just under $38 million as of 2011, and is one of the richest female country singers in America.

Discography

;Studio albums

1994: ''All That''

1996: ''Blue''

1997: ''Unchained Melody: The Early Years''

1997: ''You Light up My Life: Inspirational Songs''

1998: ''Sittin' on Top of the World''

1999: ''LeAnn Rimes''

2001: ''I Need You''

2002: ''Twisted Angel''

2004: ''What a Wonderful World''

2005: ''This Woman''

2006: ''Whatever We Wanna''

2007: ''Family''

2011: ''Lady and Gentlemen''

;Compilation albums

2001: ''God Bless America''

2003: ''Greatest Hits''

2004: ''The Best of LeAnn Rimes''

Filmography

! Year	! Name	! Role	! Other notes
	''Holiday in Your Heart''	Herself	Main Role
"Moesha"	Herself
1998	''Days of Our Lives''	Madison	Episode 1
2000		Herself	cameo appearance/singing voice:Piper Perabo
2003	''American Dreams''	Connie Francis	Season 3 episode; "Where the Boys Are"
2004	''Extreme Makeover Home Edition''	Herself	Cox Family; guest star
2006	''Holly Hobbie and Friends: Christmas Wishes''	Kelly Deegan	TV film
2008		Pam	Released on DVD March 9, 2010
		Meg Galligan	TV film Released on DVD October 6, 2009
''I Get That a Lot''	Waitress	Television special (1 episode)
2010	''Extreme Makeover Home Edition Nashville''	Herself
2011		Holly Whitman	TV film

Awards

Country Music Association awards

! Year	! Award	! Notes
1997	Horizon Award

Academy of Country Music awards

! Year	! Award	! Notes
	Top New Female Vocalist
Song of the Year for "Blue"	Award given to "Blue"'s songwriter, Bill Mack.
2009	Humanitarian Award

Grammy awards

! Year	! Award	! For
	''Best New Artist''	Herself
''Best Female Country Vocal Performance''	"Blue"

American music awards

! Year	! Award	! Notes
1997	Favorite New Artist	Only American music award

CMT music awards

! Year	! Award	! Video
2008	Collaborative Video of the Year	"'Til We Ain't Strangers Anymore" (w/ Bon Jovi)

References

External links

Official International Website

Official Northern Lights movie site starring LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian at myLifetime.com

Category:1982 births Category:American country singers Category:American female singers Category:American child singers Category:American dance musicians Category:American pop singers Category:Curb Records artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Musicians from Texas Category:Actors from Texas Category:People from Garland, Texas Category:People from Rankin County, Mississippi Category:Musicians from Mississippi Category:Actors from Mississippi Category:Living people

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