Ain’t Nobody’s Fool: The Life and Times of Dolly Parton

Journalist Ackmann (These Fevered Days) traces the life of country music great Dolly Parton in this illuminating biography. Born in a log cabin in poverty-stricken East Tennessee in 1946, Parton expressed her musical interest early on, tapping out beats to her mother while snapping green beans and singing “to an audience of barnyard animals.” She began performing on TV and the radio in high school, but her breakthrough came after she moved to Nashville and landed a gig on The Porter Wagoner Show, where she performed until 1974. Ackmann spotlights the relentless “drive and determination” that propelled Parton to fame, and delves into such formative career decisions as holding on to the rights to “I Will Always Love You” when Elvis Presley asked to record a cover, earning her millions of dollars in royalties. Ackmann also details Parton’s personal and professional setbacks, and chronicles her later-in-life efforts to remain relevant in an industry that glorifies “new artists at the expense of veterans.” The biography’s strength lies in its studious attention to how Parton’s childhood shaped her career, as evidenced in both her songs (“Coat of Many Colors” references Parton’s being bullied over a patchwork jacket made by her mother) and her philanthropic efforts (Imagination Library, a literary-focused philanthropy, is “a testament to her father’s lifelong struggle with illiteracy”). The result is a well-rounded portrait of Parton that’s firmly grounded in her Smoky Mountain roots. (Dec.)