Dolly Parton: Composer?

Well considering that she is a Country artist she never really had a chance to show her abilities composing outside of Country. 9to5 has given this chance. In short NO, I don't believe she had a ghostwriter.

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Updated On: 12/21/08 at 08:14 PM

I loved this show!

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Me too. The music, performances and especially the sets and costumes are amazing.

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yes

in country music, there's actual singers and musicians. and those singers/musicians can actually write music

unlike these commercial pop faker divas -- I can skip the names.

LOVES ME SOME DOLLY!!

"Parton is a hugely successful songwriter, having begun by writing country music songs with strong elements of folk music in them, based upon her upbringing in humble mountain surroundings, and reflecting her family's evangelical Christian background. Her songs "Coat of Many Colors", "I Will Always Love You" (bodyguard anyone??) and "Jolene" have become classics in the field, as have a number of others. As a composer, she is also regarded as one of country music's most gifted storytellers, with many of her narrative songs based on persons and events from her childhood. Parton has published almost 600 songs with BMI to date and has earned 37 BMI awards for her material.[13] In 2001, she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame"

~wikipedia (not always the best source, i know, but it works for this)

Updated On: 12/22/08 at 10:23 PM

PiraguaGuy, I can understand your skepticism. I, too, was a little suspicious upon hearing such wonderfully musical theatre-esque songs like "One of the Boys", "Heart to Hart" and "Get Out and Stay Out", but I'm slowly starting to have more faith in Dolly. I think she is given a lot less credit than she is due, because she's really an incredible musician who unfortunately has little more to her name than the label of 'Country.'

I'm sure she went through the same criticism and rewrites from the creative team that all composers do, and I'm sure she got at least a little help, but I would say, for the most part, that this was all her doing.

Then again, I could be completely wrong.

To me, Dolly Parton is much more the songwriter than the artist. There is no doubt in my mind that she could compose anything, and I doubt she would put her name on anything she did not write.

Dolly is amazing and the show, which I saw in previews, was lots of fun. I am pulling for this show and can't wait to see how the show has improved when they open on broadway.

There was most definitely not a ghost writer. Even the tunes in the show that are more showtunes still have Dolly flavor in them. Honestly I was extremely blown away by some of the songs. I am looking forward to seeing it again in NYC.

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The woman is about more than wigs! She is an amazing musician and I am quite sure she wrote the songs herself.

Not only is she an amazing musician in every sense of the word, she is a flat-out decent human being. My mom used to know her wig-dresser (the woman's children were in Mom's pre-school), and while they were on a short pre-Christmas tour, the woman's house was broken into and all of the Christmas for her children and family was stolen. Ms. Parton ensured that everything was replaced and then some so that they would still have Christmas ~ something that she definitely did not have to do.

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My bad usnavi. Thank you for setting me... errr... straight.

Dolly has no ego. "It costs a lot of money to look this cheap!" She is the salt of the earth.

I think she did, she's a very strong lyricist and composer. Any good composer who wants to write a stage musical has no problem coming up with the score in typical stage musical style.