As part of its 70th anniversary celebrations, Guinness World Records has honoured US country star Dolly Parton as one of their icons.
The company – which lists world record achievements – has given Parton, 79, an Icon certificate, presented to her at her studios in Nashville, Tennessee, celebrating the fact that the 'Jolene' singer holds 11 record-breaking titles.
These include most consecutive decades with top 10 album entries on the Billboard country chart, most studio albums released by a female country singer, and most Grammy nominations for a female country artist.
Parton was also the first country singer to be nominated for the EGOT – an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony – aka the “Grand Slam of showbusiness”.
Craig Glenday, editor in chief at Guinness World Records, said: “Dolly is undoubtedly one of the most celebrated writers and performers in the history of country music, as reflected in her many Guinness World Records certificates, but her reach and influence extends far beyond the musical world.”
He added: “There are so many projects close to her heart – poverty relief, education, medical research and of course the Imagination Library free-books campaign – and it’s these important, life-changing initiatives that propels Dolly into a different league. She truly is a living legend, and it’s an honour to bestow GWR Icon status upon her.”
Parton’s charitable and philanthropic work includes the Dollywood Foundation, founded in 1988. The institution champions the education of children in her home state of Tennessee. As for her literacy initiative, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, it has distributed more than 285 million books globally since 1995.
Besides her music career, Parton has starred in films like 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias, and earned two original song Oscar nominations for '9 to 5’, and 'Travelin’ Thru from Transamerica' from the film Transamerica.
In June, it was announced that she would be honoured in November with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian award – an Oscar statuette presented to Hollywood figures renowned for “promoting human welfare and contributing to rectifying inequities”.
Guinness World Records published its first book in London in 1955 and has sold more than 143 million copies in over 100 countries since then.
The Icon certificate has previously been awarded to stars including Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Elton John.
