Dolly Parton released her first single in 1959

Dolly Parton details what she loves about country music

Dolly Parton has been a fixture in the country music world for decades, and even though she’s getting older, she doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon.

The “Jolene” singer-songwriter recently confirmed that she wants to keep working indefinitely, telling USA Today, “I would only retire if I was ill or if my husband was ill and needed me. That’d be the only thing that would make me pull back.”

Parton married her husband, retired businessman Carl Thomas Dean, in 1966. Even as they approach their 60th wedding anniversary, she seems to be as devoted as ever.

A photo of Dolly Parton

“Work is everything to me,” she told the outlet. “That’s all I know. It’s what I do. It’s how all these things have come to pass.” She believes that songwriting is her “gift” but said, “I love to sing, too, and I love to perform. So, it’s just all one thing to me.”

“I was silly enough to believe it could be done, and I didn’t know it couldn’t be done, until I did it, as they say,” Parton explained of her impressive career. “I’d worked in the fields, being a country girl, and I’ve done all that menial labor because that was just the chores and stuff we had to do back home. But I hated every minute of it. I didn’t like school, either.”

A photo of Dolly Parton, then and now

She famously moved to Nashville to pursue a music career the day after she graduated from high school, saying now, “I thought, ‘Well, what’s the worst that can happen? I can always go back home, study to be a beautician and still get cheap makeup and bleach and all the stuff that I was going to always do, no matter what.’”

Parton has always been open about her appreciation for “cheap makeup and bleach,” and even though, these days, she has more than enough money for high-end makeup and has said she has several wigs, she still maintains the same aesthetic.

Dolly Parton sits on a couch with her guitar in her lap

“There’s a lot of maintenance,” she said about her appearance. “My joke of ‘It costs a lot of money to look this cheap,’ that’s so true because I like to look a certain way. I can’t just put on a little bit of makeup and think I look good because I don’t look good with a little bit of makeup. I like to wear a lot of makeup. It fits my personality. Even if somebody says, ‘Oh God, she was so over-made.’ Well, if it fits me, then I’m going to make everybody around me happy because I’m going to feel good myself.”

One thing that did make her nervous was dressing up as a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader at the NFL team’s Thanksgiving game last year.

Dolly Parton performs on Thanksgiving

“But I thought, ‘Well, at my age, if I can pull it off, it’s going to be good. And if I don’t, I can just pass it off as an old woman doing a stupid-a– thing,’” Parton said. “I’ve always said my desire to do something is greater than my fear of it.”

Related Posts

💔 “She Just Wants Her Daddy Home…” 💔 Strictly’s Gemma Atkinson has opened up about the heartbreaking toll long distance is taking on their 6-year-old daughter, Mia.

Gemma Atkinson and her fiancé Gorka Marquez have opened up about how their daughter, Mia, copes with their long-distance relationship. Ever since they met on the 2017…

🎤💛 THE MOMENT THAT STOPPED THE NATION 💛🎤 Children In Need 2025 delivered pure magic when Tom Fletcher’s 11-year-old son Buzz stepped up for an emotional duet that left viewers — and Tom — in tears. As the telethon soared past £45 million, Buzz’s brave, heartfelt performance became the night’s defining highlight… and Britain hasn’t stopped talking about it since.

Tom Fletcher and his 11-year-old son Buzz delivered one of the most emotional moments of this year’s Children In Need, stunning millions of viewers with a father-son…

“PLEASE STOP! If you knew the real reason why I did this, you’d regret ever doing that to me!” Charlene White broke down in tears as she revealed the TRUE reason she refused to wear a poppy on Loose Women! Unable to endure the wave of criticism and calls for her removal from television any longer, Charlene decided to speak up and bring everything to light — and what she revealed left fans exclaiming: “UNBELIEVABLE!”

Charlene White has revealed she has been left in tears over ‘horrific abuse’ from online trolls. The Loose Women presenter, 40, told how she has been targeted by vicious…

End of an Era! Strictly Shock: Alex Jones to Replace Tess and Claudia After Their Exit Bombshell – and She’ll Co-Host with Another TV Star!

According to The Sun, Alex, best known for fronting The One Show for 15 years, is “in talks” to co-host the BBC dance competition alongside The Chase favourite Bradley Walsh. Insiders say…

Radio legend Chris Evans revealed his skin cancer battle live on air — just weeks after saying goodbye to his father and standing by his mother through chemotherapy.

The emotional revelation turned an ordinary broadcast into a raw and deeply human moment that left listeners in tears.  “It’s Been One Blow After Another” Health update:…

LOOSE WOMEN’S SUE CLEAVER BREAKS SILENCE ON EXPLOSIVE ‘CATFIGHTS’ AND MAJOR FALLOUT WITH DENISE WELCH Sue Cleaver is finally addressing the rumors swirling around the Loose Women set, opening up about her alleged ‘catfights’ and a massive fallout with co-star Denise Welch. In a candid revelation, Cleaver sets the record straight on what really happened behind the scenes—and whether the rift has healed. What sparked the drama, and is there hope for reconciliation? Here’s what fans need to know about the shocking feud.

Coronation Street legend and Loose Women star Sue Cleaver addresses the ‘depressing’ talk of co-star feuds, as well as her Corrie exit and search for new horizons…