Dolly Parton wrote ‘Jolene’ and ‘I Will Always Love You’ in one day.

Is there a word for the opposite of writer’s block? If there isn’t, it should be named in honor of Dolly Parton, since the country music legend said she penned “I Will Always Love You” and “Jolene” in one day. “That was a good writing day” is how the beloved and ever-humble star described the process of writing the two eventual Billboard Country Music No. 1 hits in 1972. They remain two of her best-known songs a full half-century later, with “I Will Always Love You” taking on a second life when Whitney Houston covered it for the 1992 blockbuster The Bodyguard. Parton, who used some of her royalties from the cover to invest in a Black neighborhood in Nashville, was a fan of Houston’s version and said she “would’ve loved” to perform a duet with Houston even though “she’d have outsung me on that one for sure.”

Dolly Parton had several tattoos.

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Though she never revealed them publicly, Parton had “a few little tattoos here and there.” The singer apparently scarred easily, and used her ink — including beehives, butterflies, and ribbons — to cover up her scars.

“Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” aren’t the only megahits in history that were written quickly, of course. It took Mariah Carey and songwriter Walter Afanasieff just 15 minutes to co-write “All I Want for Christmas,” while the Beatles’ “Yesterday,” Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance,” the Guess Who’s “American Woman,” and several other famous tunes were all put together in around 10 minutes. But Parton’s songwriting is just one part of her legacy.

Over the course of her decades-long career, the Queen of Country not only established herself as one of the genre’s most important artists but also made her mark as an actress, producer, businesswoman, and philanthropist. She starred in films such as 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias, donated millions to medical research and disaster recovery, opened her own Dollywood theme park, authored several bestselling books for both kids and adults, and championed children’s literacy through her Imagination Library, which sends free books to children around the world from birth to age 5. Parton died at age 80 on August 25, 2026, but the program — which was one of the ventures she held dearest — will live on, along with her vast catalog of music.

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