Dolly Parton is one of the most iconic and influential country music artists, and despite her decades-long career, we still can't get enough of her.
Since making her debut in 1967 with her album Hello, I'm Dolly, the beloved singer has charmed fans with her beautiful voice, poignant lyrics, and larger-than-life personality.
While she gained popularity for her music and songwriting, Parton has found success in other ventures, including business, philanthropy, and acting.
In fact, Parton has been a fixture on our televisions since the 60s, when she made regular appearances on The Porter Wagoner Show. She also had two self-titled variety shows in the 70s and 80s.
In 1979, she won her first acting accolade, an Emmy Award, for "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Variety Program" for her making a guest appearance in a Cher special.
The "Jolene" singer made her feature film debut in the box office hit 9 to 5 (1980), alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. For her role, she received two Golden Globe Award nominations.
She was again nominated for a Golden Globe for her second film, a musical titled The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982).
Parton continued to star in a number of films for the remainder of the 80s and most of the 90s, including Steel Magnolias (1989), which is based on a play of the same name.
She also launched The Dolly Show, guest-starred in several sitcoms, including Designing Women, Reba, Bette, and lent her voice for characters in Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Simpsons, as well as Gnomeo and Juliet.
In the early 2000s, she had cameos in Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous and Disney Channel's Hannah Montana.
More recently, Parton co-stared with Queen Latifah in the musical film Joyful Noise. A few years later, she narrated the made-for-TV film Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors and later appeared in the sequel.
Now, the entertainer is set to return to the small screen in a collaboration with Netflix.
According to Indiewire, Parton's former co-star Tomlin was first to leak the news during a recent FYC panel, after she was asked if Parton would ever appear on her show with Jane Fonda, Grace and Frankie.
"We'd like to see Dolly and we keep hoping we'll work out a schedule, but she's just so busy," Lily said. "She does so many things, and now she has a big show deal herself at Netflix, so I don't know."
Shortly after, Netflix and Parton both confirmed the news in separate statements.
The streaming service announced that the new show will be based on the "I Will Always Love You" singer's "songs, stories, and inspiring life."
The scripted anthology will be split into eight parts, and each episode will be based on one of Parton's songs.
Of course, being a jack of all trades means that Parton will be the show's executive producer, co-star, and songwriter.
"As a songwriter, I have always enjoyed telling stories through my music," Parton said. "I am thrilled to be bringing some of my favorite songs to life with Netflix. We hope our show will inspire and entertain families and folks of all generations, and I want to thank the good folks at Netflix and Warner Bros. TV for their incredible support."
Neither Parton nor Netflix have revealed the title of the show or the exact date it will be available, but fans can expect it to debut in 2019.
Parton has a few more projects up her sleeve, including producing music for the upcoming film Dumplin' starring Jennifer Aniston.
She's also working on a 9 to 5 sequel with both Tomlin and Fonda. She said in March that the script would be done by the end of the year, and she will be writing some music for it.
The country legend has also been in the news recently for opening up about "an affair of the heart" she had and how it impacted her life after.
In the book Dolly on Dolly: Interviews and Encounters with Dolly Parton, it was revealed that she supposedly had an affair with her band leader Gregg Perry in the 1980s.
The singer was filled with so much guilt in the aftermath, so she "found herself eyeing her gun" to end her life.
"I was sitting upstairs in my bedroom one afternoon when I noticed in the nightstand drawer my gun that I keep for burglars. I looked at it a long time," Parton said.
She continued, "Then, just as I picked it up, just to hold it and look at it for a moment, our little dog, Popeye, came running up the stairs. The tap-tap-tap of his paws jolted me back to reality. I kinda believe Popeye was a spiritual messenger from God."
Parton said despite having suicidal thoughts, she did not go through with it.
"I don't think I'd have done it, killed myself, but I can't say for sure," she said. "Now that I've gone through that terrible moment, I can certainly understand the possibilities, even for someone solid like me, if the pain gets bad enough."
She added, "It was a really bad time," she said. "Sometimes God just has to smack you down," she said of the message from above. "He was almost saying, 'Sit your pretty little ass down because we have to deal with some stuff!'"
We're so glad that Parton is still around to bring us so much joy through her music and acting. We're so looking forward to her upcoming Netflix show!
For more about Dolly Parton, check out:
12 Facts About Dolly Parton That Prove She's A Living Legend
Dolly Parton Finally Explains Why She Never Had Children
Dolly Parton's Terrible Childhood Injury Almost Cost Her Part Of Her Foot
