Dolly Parton turns 78 today and she's celebrating it in style.
On January 19, the country music legend announced that she would be releasing new music with a deluxe version of her popular 'Rockstar' album.
Taking to Instagram to reveal the news, Parton posted a black screen with a special birthday message.
"Hey fans and friends, It’s my birthday so I’m going to give you a present!" she started.
She continued: "I’m releasing four never released songs for my birthday, to go with the Rockstar album, and a few others that you may have heard before that were not on the album. I hope you enjoy them, and I hope you all have a happy birthday for me! LOL."
She concluded her message with a sweet note to her fans, before signing off: "Thanks for everything, Dolly."
Have a look at the full post below:In the caption, she also added: "Surprise! Stream 'Rockstar Deluxe' wherever you get your music," alongside a burning heart emoji.
Fans took to the comments to express their excitement at the news.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOLLY!! THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE!!" wrote one user while another added: "Happy Birthday Dolly!!! You are a gift to us all!!"
A third also emphasized how much they loved the news, writing: "We can’t wait!! Happy birthday Dolly!"
The news comes just under a year after the star announced the album which consisted of 30 songs, a mixture of new tracks as well as some timeless covers.
"I'm so excited to finally present my first Rock and Roll album Rockstar! I am very honored and privileged to have worked with some of the greatest iconic singers and musicians of all time and to be able to sing all the iconic songs throughout the album was a joy beyond measure," she said in a press release at the time.
"I hope everybody enjoys the album as much as I've enjoyed putting it together!" she added.
The album went on to be released in November and marked her first rock album as well as her 49th solo album, a massive milestone for the country star.
But with a career as extensive and as fulfilling as Parton's, you won't be surprised to know that she started her career very young back in 1959, before getting involved with a small Louisiana label, and Mercury Records in Nashville in 1962.
According to the Country Music Hall of Fame, which the singer was inducted into back in 1999, Parton first found national fame on The Porter Wagoner Show before embarking on a proper solo career, releasing number one hits such as 'Joshua' which was released in 1971, and then 'Jolene,' 'Love Is Like a Butterfly,' and 'I Will Always Love You" which were all released in 1974.
Since then, she continued on her journey, going from strength to strength to become the icon she is today.
Even her personal life became a wonderful source of joy for fans, as she broke down barriers with her decisions in her relationship.
After choosing not to have children with her long-time love Carl Dean, she also admitted that the pair are in an "open relationship" (well, their version of an open relationship), even despite the critics.
Writing about their set-up in her 2017 book 'Dolly on Dolly, Interviews and Encounters with Dolly Parton', the country singer wrote: "Men are my weakness. Short, fat, bald, or skinny — I've had crushes on some very unusual men but Carl knows I'll always come home and I'm not having sex with these people — I'm just flirting and having fun."
She continued: "He's not jealous and I'm not jealous of him. He knows I flirt. He flirts too. Yes, it's an open relationship, but not sexually and I would kill him if I thought he was doing that.
"He would shoot me too. At the end of the day we love each other madly," she added.
Speaking to Billboard, the country singer also added that the couple did want to have children at one point, but God had other plans.
"When my husband and I were dating, and then when we got married, we just assumed we would have kids," she said. "We weren't doing anything to stop it. In fact, we thought maybe we would. We even had names if we did, but it didn't turn out that way.
"God has a plan for everything. I think it probably was his plan for me not to have kids so everybody's kids could be mine," she added.
Happy birthday, Dolly! We wish you yet another year of happiness!
