Noted singer, entrepreneur and philanthropist Dolly Parton was not only ubiquitous over the airwaves, but also somewhat with her life’s footprint.
As a result, Knoxville-area residents wanting to learn about as much of Parton’s life as they can after her death on Aug. 25 and who are already familiar with her Sevier County and even Knoxville connections can visit Ringgold, Georgia, less than two hours away.
Just across the state line from Chattanooga and off Interstate 75, Ringgold was where Parton and her lower-profile husband, Carl Dean, were married on May 30, 1966. Dean had also spent part of his growing-up years in the Chattanooga area, and his familiarity with Ringgold led partly to their wedding plans.
Carl Dean’s connection to Ringgold
The other reason was practicality amid the social customs of the time. As a plexiglass-covered plaque a few feet away from the still-standing First Baptist Church of Ringgold explains, she was already on the way to a successful singing career after arriving in Nashville after high school but wanted to keep her wedding private. Her business and recording executives also would have apparently frowned on the move, in part since she was only 20…