Dolly Parton’s Business Maxims: How She Built & Ran Her Empire, in Her Own Words

The outpouring of grief following Dolly Parton ’s death last week at the age of 80 was universal and apt: The country icon was beloved as few are these days, both for her music and her general Dolly-ness. But just as much attention was paid to her philanthropic work and business acumen, both of which were legendary in their own right.

For Parton, her business sense goes back to the very beginning of her career, when she made the decision alongside her uncles in the 1960s to launch her own publishing company — a choice that, more than 3,000 songs later, is still paying off. (“As I’ve always said, my songs are my children and I expect them to support me when I’m old,” Parton said in 2017 .) Over time, that business empire blossomed into one encompassing not just publishing but record companies, brand deals, TV and film productions, books, product lines — and, of course, theme parks, with the Dollywood park in Tennessee one of her most indelible endeavors.