Growing Up in the Smoky Mountains
Dolly Rebecca Parton’s childhood was simple, muddy, crowded, and homey. She was born in January 1946 and grew up with 12 other siblings in East Tennessee. Her parents, Avie and Robert Lee did everything they could to make sure their kids didn’t lack anything. They grew their own produce and gathered scraps of cloth to sew clothes for the kids.
Dolly Parton circa 1955. Photo by Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images
But despite their best efforts, times were rough. Their one-room cabin meant that Dolly shared a bed each night with up to four of her siblings, and the age differences caused problems. When the little ones wet the bed, the rest had nothing to do but cope with it. Surprisingly, being peed on was a blessing in the winter. “That was the only warm thing we knew in the wintertime,” Dolly told Playboy in 1978.