19 Country Stars You Didn’t Know Grew Up Dirt Poor

Dolly Parton once sang of silver and gold, but she didn't know either until much later in life.

Like so many country legends, Parton grew up dirt poor, but like so many legends, she'll tell you she's better for it.

Notable on this list of 19 country stars who grew up poor is that very few are modern hitmakers and only one is under 40. Is this evidence of more equal wealth distribution in America, or a sign that it takes more money to take it to Nashville?

Also possible: Stories of poor rural raising just aren't what the Music Man wants in 2024. That's kind of sad to consider when you see which artists depended on that exact type of story to kickstart a career.

Related: 9 Country Stars You Didn't Know Grew Up Rich

Nine of the first 10 artists on this list are all contemporary stars who still release music, while the rest are legends who've either died or drop music less frequently. Willie Nelson is the exception — his poor upbringing is made even more sad by the truth of what happened to his parents.

Hopefully, this list serves as inspiration for anyone looking to overcome an obstacle to reach a dream. If Jelly Roll (No. 8 below) can do it, why can't you?

Billy Dukes is a Senior Editor and Executive Producer of Video Content at Taste of Country. He specializes in country music interviews, trend analysis and the Secret History of Country Music. Additionally, Billy covers Yellowstone, 1923 and related television shows through the Dutton Rules podcast. To date, he's written more than 13,000 articles for Taste of Country and produced over 3,000 videos for the Taste of Country YouTube channel.