Country music icon Dolly Parton has been a reigning force in the industry for an impressive five decades, and retirement is nowhere on her horizon.
In a recent conversation with USA Today, Dolly emphasized that work is not just a career for her; it’s a way of life she has no plans to relinquish. “Work is everything to me,” she expressed. “That’s all I know. It’s what I do. It’s how all these things have come to pass.”
Despite amassing monumental achievements, from Grammy, Emmy, and Oscar, to Tony nominations and victories, the idea of slowing down doesn’t register on her radar. Dolly envisions the only scenario that might prompt her to step back from the limelight: if she or her husband, Carl Dean, her partner for over five decades, faced health challenges.
“I would only retire if I was ill or if my husband was ill and needed me,” she candidly shared. “That’d be the only thing that would make me pull back.”
>>READ ALSO: Dolly Parton Shared Her Special Reason for Not Having Children
Contemplating her path from a rural Tennessee upbringing to international fame, Dolly recognizes her childhood aspirations of entering the entertainment industry. She attributes her transformation into the iconic figure she is today to the audacity of dreaming about a life that initially appeared beyond her grasp.
“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 reminisced.
Having grown up performing menial labor in the fields as a country girl, she disliked every minute of it and wasn’t a fan of school either. However, she boldly pursued her dreams, thinking, “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.”
Her childhood dreams have indeed become a reality, with Dolly Parton selling over 100 million records worldwide, solidifying her status as one of the best-selling female artists ever. Her latest milestone includes the release of her 49th solo studio album, “Rockstar,” in November.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings