NEW YORK (AP) ā floated throughout her first gospel album in 1971 with songs like āI Believe,ā āLord Hold My Handā and the albumās title track, āGolden Streets of Glory.ā The entertainment icon says the same steadfast faith that inspired those hymns have anchored her throughout her grief
āI am a person of faith, and I truly believe that Iām going to see him again someday. And I see him every day in my memories and in my heart, and in all the things that we used to do and all the things that weāve built together,ā said Parton. āYou just kind of have to learn to kind of make new plans ā but thatās the hardest part.ā
reflected on her marriage of nearly 60 years while promoting her new single-serve Southern-inspired frozen meals, following her popular Duncan Hines baking mixes via a collaboration with US-based Conagra Brands. Dean, who avoided the spotlight and inspired her timeless hit āJolene,ā as well as her 2023 āRockstarā album, died in March at 82.
āI just try to go on, because I know I have to. And he was ill for quite a while, and part of me was at peace that he was at peace and not suffering anymore. But that still doesnāt make up for the loss and the loneliness of it.ā
spoke with The Associated Press about her perspective on life without her husband, her entrepreneurial spirit and on why sheās never embraced the title āsuperstar.ā The conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.
AP: It seems like the entire world was thinking of you following your loss. Has your perspective changed of what you hope to accomplish after losing your husband?
PARTON: No, I just think that Iāve always had dreams and Iām always working. My husband understood that. Carl knew that better than anybody and he was all about it. He was very proud of me. ā¦ So when I did lose him, I just thought, well, Iām going to take all of that energy, and I'm just going to put that back into other things, and Iāll keep him ever-present in everything that I do.
AP: You have so many business ventures and philanthropic work. Where did your entrepreneurial acumen begin?
PARTON: I just think that if youāre successful, if you are lucky enough to see your dreams come true, you need to make new dreams out of your other dreams. Because itās like a tree with lots of limbs and leaves, so every dream, you can kind of branch off ā if youāll pardon the expression ā and do other things. And I like the business end of things. I like seeing things happen, and I love making things happen. So, my mind just naturally works that way.
AP: You have your popular Duncan Hines cake mixes and now, your single-serve frozen meals. What other projects are you working on?
PARTON: I have a new book coming out ... this one is called āStar of the Show,ā which is actually a song I wrote years ago. But itās about my life on the road and my life on stage ā all the behind the scenes and all the people that Iāve met, and all of the things that happen when youāre traveling like that as I have for all of these years. So, that, and then I have my life story as a musical. Itās called āDolly: An Original Musical.ā And Iāve written a lot of original songs for it. Of course, itāll have the big hits that are woven into the story. And itās just about my life, from the time I was little until up through now.
Itās going to be at the Fisher Center of Performing Arts at Belmont University (in Nashville). Then, once that has its run through the end of August, then we take it to New York to open on Broadway next year.
AP: How are you celebrating the 40th anniversary of your Dollywood theme park?
PARTON: One of the things they did for the 40th anniversary was put a big sign up on the hill there above Dollywood that says āDollywoodā like the Hollywood sign. ā¦ Years ago, when I thought, āWell, someday Iām going to have my own theme park and Iām gonna change that H to a D and have Dollywood.' So, they finally, after 40 years, put that sign up, even though Iāve talked about it for years. So, weāve got a lot of wonderful things planned for the whole season thatās celebrating the 40th anniversary. It seems just like a few years back, but itās like everything else: I was with Carl for 60 years, and Dollywoodās 40 years old. And thatās just hard to believe because Iām only 27. (laughs)
AP: Have you accepted that youāre the Dolly Parton, global superstar?
PARTON: I donāt think about my life in terms of āsuperstar.ā Iām just a workinā girl. I always say ā and itās the truth ā that I am a workhorse that looks like a show horse. But I gotta keep it all up and I enjoy all of it. ā¦ My husband always said, āIf anybody was ever born to be a star, itās you.ā Because he sees me loving to do all the things and playing and stuff ā itās play time for me. But I take it very serious.
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Follow Associated Press entertainment journalist Gary Gerard Hamilton at @GaryGHamilton on all his social media platforms.
Gary Gerard Hamilton, The Associated Press
