Dolly Parton teamed up with country star Porter Wagoner in 1967 as a cohost on his popular TV show.

A young Dolly Parton felt confined by her partnership with country star and TV host Porter Wagoner.

Dolly Parton jumped to Hollywood in the 1980s, where she became a bona fide movie star.

Dolly Parton recorded two albums with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris under the name Trio.

Read a 1984 interview with Dolly Parton, conducted by artist Andy Warhol.

Explore the best Dolly Parton songs, including 'Jolene,' '9 to 5,' and many more.

'9 to 5' was Dolly Parton's first No. 1 pop hit.

As disco grew more popular, country star Dolly Parton experimented with the genre.

Before becoming a country superstar, Dolly Parton recorded girl group-style singles as a teenager, including one that became a hit outside the US.

Dolly Parton produced the original 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' movie.

Every ‘SNL’ host who's doubled as musical guest

This chronological list details every entertainer who’s both hosted and performed as musical guest through the show’s five decades. You’ll find some interesting tidbits, like Paul Simon breaking ground as the first to do it in 1975, and some serious headscratchers, like Garth Brooks performing as his alter ego Chris Gaines.

Dolly Parton initially declined her nomination for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, though the Hall inducted her anyways.

A Tennessee children's hospital changed its name to Dolly Parton Children's Hospital.

Dolly Parton released her first recording at age 13, a rockabilly number she cowrote called 'Puppy Love.'

Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers' 'Islands in the Stream' was written by the Bee Gees.

Dolly Parton's 'I Will Always Love You' is a widely covered standard that's been a No. 1 hit multiple times.

Parton was famously apolitical and consistently declined opportunities to align herself with politicians.

'Islands in the Stream' was another massive crossover hit for Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton.

Dolly Parton's 'I Will Always Love You' was written as a goodbye for her musical collaborator, Porter Wagoner.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program provides free books to kids.

Dolly Parton wrote the song '9 to 5' on the set of the movie '9 to 5.'

Dolly Parton's 'Jolene' was based on a real woman who flirted with Parton's husband.

The disastrous meeting of the Muppets and ‘SNL’

The first season of "Saturday Night Live" featured some of the most cutting-edge comedy imaginable. Curiously, it also featured Jim Henson's Muppets. Henson and his singular brand of puppetry had found success with "Sesame Street," but Henson was concerned he was being pigeonholed as a children's entertainer and jumped at the opportunity to appear in a recurring segment on NBC's new program. The result was a bizarre train wreck that's detailed in this comprehensive retrospective.

Elvis Presley wanted to record 'I Will Always Love You,' but Dolly Parton refused.

Kermit the Frog was originally a lizard—and was made from Jim Henson's jeans

The iconic figure was initially created for 1955's "Sam and Friends," a lead-in to "The Tonight Show" that was the debut of the Muppets. The original Kermit puppet was lizard-like and made from two articles of clothing: Henson's blue jeans and his mother's old coat.

A list of every ‘SNL’ host and musical guest

Every episode, "SNL" welcomes a host and a musical guest, bringing a wild range of personalities to the stage at 30 Rock. That’s evident by browsing this comprehensive list of every “SNL” episode, which features mind-boggling combos, including Buck Henry and Sun Ra, Helen Hunt and Snoop Dogg, and Jackie Chan and Kid Rock.

In the 2000s, Dylan began hosting a weekly radio show

Bob Dylan remained unpredictable, even 40 years into his career. Look no further than his satellite radio show from the 2000s, which found the legendary singer-songwriter riffing on a different theme every week. In this episode that theme is “Nothing.” He talks about Dr. Dre’s “Nuthin’ but a G Thang,” quotes several lines from Shakespeare, and speaks at length about his love for the musical “Porgy and Bess.” It’s a wild, unpredictable ride, just like the rest of his career.

Dylan's raucous 1976 tour was one piece of an ongoing reinvention

In the mid-70s, Dylan assembled a ragtag group of musicians and poets—including Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, and Allen Ginsberg—he called the Rolling Thunder Revue. Rather than playing stadiums in major markets, they played smaller venues in smaller cities for a more intimate experience. The tour yielded some of the most exuberant versions of Dylan songs, captured in this 1976 performance in Fort Collins, which originally aired on NBC as “Hard Rain.”

Bob Hope's radio shows brought stand-up to the masses

Bob Hope’s 1930s variety shows featured comedic monologues. Unlike the tightly scripted and evergreen sets of vaudeville, Hope’s monologues leaned into topical and political humor, sometimes to the disapproval of his network.

Before he had his own show, Pee-wee Herman appeared on 'The Dating Game'

Paul Reubens' character Pee-wee Herman would become a sensation with his 1986 children's show "Pee-wee's Playhouse," but in 1979 he appeared as the hilariously naive character on "the Dating Game." It's not clear if the show (or its audience) understood what they were seeing.

Country musicians grappled with the outlaw archetype on screen

As country grew more popular, some of its biggest stars leapt to the silver screen, with Johnny Cash in "Five Minutes to Live," Kris Kristofferson in "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid," and Dolly Parton in "9 to 5." Kristin Hunt notes that all of these films featured country stars toying with the outlaw archetype, a prevalent theme throughout the history of country music.

The best celebrity cameos on 'The Simpsons'

As the show became a pop culture sensation in the late '80s, it began attracting celebrities eager to get in on the fun. This list ranks some of the best of those appearances, including Meryl Streep, Paul McCartney, and Dustin Hoffman.

Explore 'The Grand Ole Opry' radio archive

"The Grand Ole Opry" changed the course of country music, bringing the music from the mountains and hollers to a nationwide audience through its weekly show. This archive of the radio program offers hundreds of hours of Opry radio programs from several decades of the show's existence.

'The Grand Ole Opry' radio show debuted in 1925

The Grand Ole Opry began as "The WSM Barn Dance," broadcasting from downtown Nashville. The name changed when its host, transitioning from the station's previous program, said, "You've been up in the clouds with Grand Opera; now get down to earth with us in a shindig of Grand Ole Opry!"

Prince's first TV appearance was in 1980

Prince appeared on "The Midnight Special" on Jan. 11, 1980, and played two songs from his self-titled album, "I Wanna Be Your Lover" and "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad." It's a goofy, lip-synced performance, as was not uncommon for music on TV at the time, but the 21-year-old, clad in thigh-high boots and leopard print, made the most of the performance, offering a preview of the over-the-top persona he'd refine over the next few decades.

Revelations about quiz show ‘Dotto’ led to a larger scandal across the industry

The show, which aired on both CBS and NBC in slightly different iterations in 1958, followed a fairly standard question-and-answer format, with correct answers slowly revealing an image that contestants needed to solve. Despite its popularity, the show was canceled after it was revealed that one contestant had been provided with answers to the questions. That revelation led to similar scandals with four more shows over the next few months.