Which two songs does Dolly say she wrote on the same day?

9 to 5 and Islands in the Stream

Here You Come Again and Coat of Many Colors

Why did Dolly decline Elvis Presley's recording of I Will Always Love You?

His manager wanted half the publishing rights

Where did Dolly famously jot down Coat of Many Colors?

On the back of a dry-cleaning receipt

Dolly Parton Songwriting Quiz: Credits and Classics

Dolly Parton often says she wrote Jolene and I Will Always Love You on a single day in the early 1970s, and this Dolly Parton songwriting quiz looks at the songs behind the legend. Play 10 interactive questions on Coat of Many Colors, 9 to 5, Porter Wagoner, Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Start Dolly Parton Songwriting Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Same day
Which two songs does Dolly say she wrote on the same day?
Farewell
For whom did Dolly write I Will Always Love You?
Elvis
Why did Dolly decline Elvis Presley's recording of I Will Always Love You?
Whitney
In which film did Whitney Houston's version appear?
Coat
Where did Dolly famously jot down Coat of Many Colors?
Typewriter
What did Dolly use to create the rhythm of 9 to 5?
Oscar
Which Dolly song earned an Oscar nomination in 1981?
Not hers
Which Dolly hit was written by the Bee Gees?
Hall
When was Dolly inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame?
Count
Roughly how many songs has Dolly said she has written?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which two songs does Dolly say she wrote on the same day?
Answer: Jolene and I Will Always Love You
She has told this story many times, saying both came in one creative burst.
Q2: For whom did Dolly write I Will Always Love You?
Answer: Porter Wagoner
She wrote it as a goodbye when leaving Wagoner's TV show and partnership.
Q3: Why did Dolly decline Elvis Presley's recording of I Will Always Love You?
Answer: His manager wanted half the publishing rights
She kept her publishing, a decision that paid off hugely when Whitney Houston recorded it.
Q4: In which film did Whitney Houston's version appear?
Answer: The Bodyguard
The 1992 hit became one of the best-selling singles of all time.
Q5: Where did Dolly famously jot down Coat of Many Colors?
Answer: On the back of a dry-cleaning receipt
She wrote it on a tour bus using a receipt from Porter Wagoner's clothes.
Q6: What did Dolly use to create the rhythm of 9 to 5?
Answer: Her acrylic fingernails
She clicked her nails together to imitate typing on the set of the film.
Q7: Which Dolly song earned an Oscar nomination in 1981?
Answer: 9 to 5
It was nominated for Best Original Song and became a number one hit.
Q8: Which Dolly hit was written by the Bee Gees?
Answer: Islands in the Stream
Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb wrote her duet with Kenny Rogers.
Q9: When was Dolly inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame?
Answer: 2001
The honor recognized her as one of country music's most successful writers.
Q10: Roughly how many songs has Dolly said she has written?
Answer: Thousands
She has said she has written more than 3,000 songs over her career.

Dolly Parton Songwriting Quiz – The Songwriter Behind the Star

Dolly Parton grew up in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, the fourth of 12 children, and started writing songs as a child. While she is famous as a singer and performer, she has written thousands of songs.

She has said that she wrote Jolene and I Will Always Love You on the same day. The second song was a farewell to Porter Wagoner. Coat of Many Colors, written on a dry-cleaning receipt, told the story of a coat her mother sewed from rags.

Dolly refused to give Elvis Presley's team half the publishing rights to I Will Always Love You, and Whitney Houston's 1992 version made the song a global hit. Her 9 to 5 earned an Oscar nomination, and she entered the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001.

What This Quiz Teaches

Country fans and songwriters will enjoy these questions.

Which songs she wrote
Who inspired them
Why she turned down Elvis
How 9 to 5 got its rhythm
Which honors she received

Did You Know?

Dolly runs the Dollywood theme park.
Her Imagination Library gives free books to children.
Here You Come Again was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.
She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
Travelin' Thru earned her another Oscar nomination.