19 things you probably didn't know about music legend Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton, the renowned country music legend, has a rich history filled with numerous surprises. Despite her fame, she remains a private individual. Parton established a theme park called Dollywood, but she never indulged in any of its rides due to her fear of motion sickness and claustrophobia. In fact, she attributed her wig collection to this same fear, explaining that she was too worried about damaging her precious wigs.

Notably, Parton's iconic songs "I Will Always Love You" and "Jolene" were inspired by real-life experiences. While "I Will Always Love You" was initially conceived as a song about a professional relationship, "Jolene" drew from a bank teller who once expressed interest in Parton's husband. Parton penned "Jolene" the same day, and shared it with her mentor, Porter Wagoner, who agreed to produce it, calling it her best work ever.

Dolly Parton's philanthropy extends beyond music, most notably through her Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Founded in 1995, this program has distributed over 120 million free books to children worldwide, aiming to promote literacy. Additionally, Parton serves as the honorary godmother to Miley Cyrus, a connection that arose from their shared country music roots. Parton also made a guest appearance on the Disney Channel's "Hannah Montana," where she played Miley Cyrus's character's godmother.