Born in 1946 in a mountain community in Tennessee, Parton grew up among more than ten siblings. The poverty of her childhood became a recurring subject in her lyrics.

She entered the country charts in the late 1960s and achieved success beyond the genre with songs she wrote herself. Several became globally known through other artists' recordings. Her insistence on retaining her own songwriting rights is frequently cited in the music business.

She also acted in films, and the theme park she built near her birthplace became a pillar of local employment. Her literacy programme, which mails books to children each month, has expanded to several countries.

Parton was known for withholding political commentary. She was wary of her songs being enlisted by either side, and that distance is often credited with the breadth of her support.

In East Asia her name is best known through particular songs, with her authorship often discovered only later.

Funeral arrangements and memorial events have not been announced.