Dolly Parton was born in nearby Locust Ridge on January 19, 1946, to Lee and Avie Lee Parton and grew up in the shadow of her beloved Smoky Mountains with her 11 brothers and sisters. Dolly was appearing regularly on WSEV radio in Sevierville before she was ten years old and was also a regular on a Knoxville television program, "The Cas Walker Show." Dolly left for Nashville the day after she graduated from high school to become an international star; she has received numerous awards for her many talents including gold records, Grammy Awards and Academy Award nominations.

A statue of Dolly sculpted by local artist Jim Gray decorates the lawn of Sevierville's courthouse, and Dolly herself unveiled the statue on May 2, 1987, while her proud parents looked on. In 1986, she opened her Dollywood entertainment park in neighboring Pigeon Forge. She comes home each April for the park's seasonal Grand Opening and makes several other appearances in the area during the year. Many of Dolly's family members still live in the Sevierville area, and several of them, including her brother Randy, perform regularly at Dollywood.

Courtesy of Sevierville Chamber of Commerce