Dolly Parton in Her Own Words: The Woman Behind the Legend

Dolly Parton came out of poverty in the mountains of Tennessee to create huge international success and earn honors in country and pop music, movies, business, and philanthropy. Dolly Parton died on Tuesday, August 25. She was 80.Dolly Parton was, most of all, a songwriter, and she wrote songs about her life, beginning with poverty. Music took her out of the mountains.She became, in her success, something even beyond a star—she became much loved. The New York Times, in its obituary, cited the title of its 2019 story: “Is There Anything We Can All Agree On? Yes: Dolly Parton.”Dolly Parton created a character, but she was the first to say, “That’s not all I am.” In a lifetime in entertainment, she toured the world, hosted television shows, and made movies with Burt Reynolds, Julia Roberts, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin.In 1994, she published her memoir, Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business.For all her musical achievements, Dolly Parton was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.In 2006, she received the Kennedy Center Honors.In 2025, her husband, Carl Dean, died.Beyond music, Dolly Parton built Dollywood, a theme park in the Smoky Mountains, distributed books to young people, and supported COVID vaccinations.In a world too often in conflict, it is an appropriate moment to pause and remember a life dedicated to the human spirit.In this conversation from June 5, 2009, Dolly Parton talks about the woman behind the legend.