An iconic singer and a blonde bombshell, Dolly Parton truly is unmatched.

This country music legend who is a songwriter, businesswoman, and humanitarian among the rest, has given the world of country music a lot over the years. Not only she is under the spotlight for decades because of her songs and vocal, but she’s also widely known as someone with a heart of gold who has always spoken openly about everything in her life.

Born on January 19, 1946, in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, as one of 12 children, Dolly Parton‘s family struggled to make ends meet at times, but they were very close and the children grew up in a loving home where music was always present.

“Music was such a large part of our whole family,” Parton recalled. “All of my mama’s people were musical. They all played some musical instrument. Of course, I took my music real serious, and I was always plucking along on somebody’s instrument — whatever they would leave lying around or whenever my family would come. But I always loved the guitar.”