My discovery of Dolly Parton won't go down in the record books.

Like Scott of the Antarctic, I find that other people have got there first. However late to the party, I find I am unabashedly hooked.

Preparing for a role in the stage show Dolly Parlous Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol, I did some research into her career, now in its seventh decade.

She has had 25 number-one hit singles and 41 top-ten albums. Her staggering ability