Dolly Parton Reveals Surprising Reason She Doesn’t Want To Live As Long As Betty White

It’s been one month since television icon Betty White passed away at the age of 99, just 17 days shy of her 100th birthday.

While honoring White in a new interview, 76-year-old country music legend Dolly Parton also opened up about why she doesn’t want to live quite as long as the “Golden Girl” did. 

‘I Hope I Don’t Live That Long’

“I met her a time or two. I just knew of her work, and I just loved her. I just thought she was great,” Parton told Access. “And I hope to be like that. I hope to be able to, if I live that long, I hope to be able to be active and productive, and I will, you know, be trying if I live that long.”

However, Parton went on to add that making it to 99 isn’t actually something that she wants to do. 

“I hope I don’t live that long, to be honest,” she continued. “I just hope I go out at my peak whenever that peak might be and then just fall out like that. But don’t we all wish for that?”

Related: Dolly Parton Pays Powerful Tribute To Betty White – ‘I Will Always Love Her’

Check out Parton’s full interview in which White came up below around the 8:29 minute mark.

Parton was quick to pay tribute to White immediately after her death was announced. 

“While watching the news last night I learned of Betty White’s passing,” Parton tweeted at the time. “Betty will live forever not only in this world but the world here after. I will always love her as we all will!”

White Was A Parton Fan

Betty White had long been a Parton fan, telling The Boot back in 2010 that her song “9 To 5” was her favorite country music tune. 

“I like Dolly’s whole approach to life with ongoing and uplifting songs,” White said at the time. “I never met Dolly, but everything I ever heard about her — she was a great gal to know, and you could kind of get it in her music and her voice and her approach to lyrics.”

Related: Betty White’s Funeral Wishes And The Tear-Jerking Dolly Parton Song For The Occasion

Though she’s well into her 70s now, Parton is staying as busy as ever, with her latest venture being a line of cake mixes and frostings that she’s releasing with Duncan Hines. The Dolly Parton Baking Collection is already so popular “that they are currently out of stock,” according to the Duncan Hines website. 

“I’m excited about it and I really think people are going to enjoy all these recipes,” Parton told CBS News. 

Parton Doesn’t See Herself As A Celebrity

Even after being in the public eye for decades, Parton is a down-to-earth woman who doesn’t see herself as a celebrity. 

It scares me to death sometimes,” she said of her celebrity status.  “I’m always sayin’ I’m not all that, I’m even not all there sometimes. But it makes me feel good that I’ve been around long enough for people to feel like they know me and they’ve just kind of accepted me.”

Parton and White may not have known each other well, but given how humble and down-to-earth they both were, it’s clear they would have been good friends if they’d had more time together!