Film Archivist Unearths Footage of 14-Year-Old Dolly Parton
Dollywood theme park and the benevolent force responsible for the
Dolly Parton was a teenage dreamer in East Tennessee.
Thanks to Knoxville-area film archivist Matthew Reeves, we can now see 14-year-old Parton perform at an outdoor event organized by Smoky Mountain celebrity and
As both the footage and the accompanying studio recording of "Making Believe" establish, Parton developed at a young age into the singer-songwriter and live performer that'd go on to change popular music.
Per Reeves' YouTube description, the silent 8mm home movie footage was shot by Haroldine Worthington in Fountain City, Tennessee at the gas station parking lot at the corner of Essary Road and Broadway.