Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media Inc.
Parton shows no signs of slowing her pace.
At 79, Dolly Parton is reflecting on aging and sharing her life lessons in a way only she can.
In a recent interview with People, timed with the release of her new memoir Star of the Show: My Life on Stage, the country music legend discussed her decades-long career and revealed her straightforward approach to growing older gracefully.
“You know, I’ve always been moving so fast,” Parton told the publication. “Sometimes I wonder, ‘How did I even live my life? How did I get all this done?’ Writing this book made me realize how much I’ve sacrificed. I never had children, so at least I didn’t carry that guilt. I’m grateful I got to see my dreams come true.”
Though she’ll turn 80 next year, the “9 to 5” star insists she’s far from slowing down.
“People say, ‘You’re going to be 80.’ And I think, so what? Look at all I’ve accomplished. I feel like I’m just getting started,” she said. “Unless my health fails—which thankfully, it hasn’t—age doesn’t define me. If you allow yourself to feel old, you will. I say, ‘I ain’t got time to get old!’ That’s not what I’m thinking about.”
Her focus remains on her music career, charitable work, and staying true to herself.
“I don’t try to tell others how to live, but I know who I am,” Parton explained. “I might be a star to everyone else, but to me, I’m just a working girl. I call myself a workhorse that looks like a show horse.”
She added, “I’m not trying to compete with anyone else, just with myself. I want to be the best version of me and improve every day. It was never about being rich; it was about succeeding at what I love. Dreams don’t come true without hard work.”
Parton is widely recognized as one of the most celebrated and influential female singer-songwriters of all time. Over her illustrious career, she has won 11 Grammy Awards from 55 nominations, including a Lifetime Achievement Award. A cross-genre icon, she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
