Country music star, philanthropist Dolly Parton dies at 80

The useful part

Known for her curvy physique, massive blonde wigs and skin-tight outfits that served her self-deprecating wit, she was among the most beloved personalities in music and beyond. the rare celebrity whose appeal transcended generations, geography and politics. She wrote hundreds of songs, including classics like "Jolene," "Coat of Many Colors" and "I Will Always Love You," that totaled more than 100 million worldwide sales and more than 1 billion online streams.

How it works

• She started her education nonprofit, Imagination Library, to send free books to children in Tennessee because her father, who quit school to work on the farm, struggled to learn to read.
• By age 10, she was learning guitar and singing on local television shows.
• Her career was forever influenced by her upbringing as one of 12 children born into what she called a "dirt poor" Tennessee family.
• Parton's first musical performances were in church, where her grandfather was a preacher.

Details worth keeping

Parton, who plucked bejeweled banjos, guitar and dulcimers with her long fingernails during performances, was a generous philanthropist and successful businesswoman whose projects included a theme park in the Smoky Mountain foothills near her birthplace. At 13, she appeared on the Grand Ole Opry in Na...