I feel like the luckiest girl ever: Dolly Parton

Updated on: 06 Sep 2026, 12:50 am

She made the song Jolene, and many more for us to sing, dance to, and remember. Dolly Parton, who passed away on August 25, 2026, spent a lifetime turning music, rhinestones and sheer determination into a singular kind of stardom. But beneath the wigs, wit and towering career was a woman who never lost sight of where she came from. In this conversation, Parton speaks about hard work, her love for her mama and daddy, and the legacy she hoped to leave behind.

How do you feel about turning 80?

I feel good. I think it’s more of a big deal for other people because I don’t think about my age. Yes, I’m 80, but I don’t feel 80. I honestly don’t feel much different from when I was 40. But I do feel grateful.

“I hope my legacy is my music. I hope it will last long after I’m gone. But most of all, I just would like to be remembered as a good person.”

Are there moments from your life that you particularly like reliving?

So many. There are so many special moments. I try not to think too much about the hard times, because there have been so many good times. I love looking back on my thirties and remembering how good it felt to be at that point in my life and career. I remember thinking then how lucky I was to have paid all my bills, to do what I always dreamed, and to have such good people around me. And you know what? I still feel like the same.

Has all that success come at a cost?

Sure. I had to work hard. I have spent a long time on the road. I never took many vacations because I was always working. But I don’t have regrets. The sacrifice has been worth it because I got to make my dreams come true. And that’s what dreams need to become a reality: hard work and sacrifice.

How do you manage to do so much?

I just do. I like to be busy. I like to work. But I’m lucky to be able to do what I do. And of course, I don’t do it alone. I have a wonderful group of people who I get to work with and who make it not seem like work to me. People keep asking me if I will ever retire. Will I retire at 80? The answer is no. I still have dreams I want to make happen. And I need the money because it costs a lot to look this cheap. That ain’t no joke (laughs).

Apart from a superstar, singer, and songwriter, you are also an incredibly successful businesswoman. Where does that side of you come from?

From my daddy. He couldn’t read or write, but he was so smart. He not only raised 12 children, but he could do anything. He was an expert at trading and bartering. My daddy was always willing to work, and that rubbed off on me. He would work so hard at whatever job he could find. That is where my work ethic and my business sense come from.

Where did the entertainer part of you come from?

My mama. I got my work ethic from daddy and my music from my mama. I always wanted to work, but as soon as I realised I could make money from music and performing, I knew that it was what I wanted to do. I thought a lot about this being the music business. The business part interested me as much as the music. I knew I wanted to be the boss. I wanted to publish my own songs and be in control like that.

Were you always able to write such incredible songs?

I think so. I guess it’s something I was born with. It’s God’s gift. I came from a long line of singers, musicians and writers on my mother’s side of the family, so all that stuff just came naturally to me. I am glad that I have that gift.

Where does your sense of style come from?

It comes from me because I like to look and feel good. It also comes from the many amazing designers I have worked with. But for me, I just wear what I like and feel comfortable in. Usually that’s the same jeans and shirts I have been wearing for years. Other times I like to make a statement.

You often joke about your “biggest assets”. Has the attention on that aspect ever got to you?

No, because it’s my joke to make. They are my big assets (laughs). Yes, I made them bigger than what they were, because that is what I wanted to do. Like I always say, those soldiers got droopy, so I just stood them right back up! (laughs).

How have you stayed so down-to-earth over the years?

That’s just who I am. I have never been someone who has allowed success to go to my head. I was raised to be humble. Growing up in the Smoky Mountains, I used to dream of what the future might bring and what was out there for me. I have never taken that dream for granted. I feel like the luckiest girl ever.

What is it like to be regarded as a true global icon?

I don’t know. I don’t see myself like that at all. I mean, I’m thankful that anyone would think of me like that, but more than anything, I’m just happy to be me.

Finally, have you thought about what you would like your legacy to be?

I hope my legacy is my music. I hope it will last long after I’m gone. But most of all, I just would like to be remembered as a good person, someone who cared and who worked hard to help people. I would just like to be remembered as a normal person who got lucky.