Dolly Parton has enjoyed an iconic decades-long career in country music, and in a new interview, the 78 year-old “Jolene” singer is revealing the “one thing” that could make her retire.
Parton Reveals What Would Make Her Retire
“I would only retire if I was ill or if my husband was ill and needed me,” Parton told USA Today. “That’d be the only thing that would make me pull back.”
Parton has been married to Carl Dean since 1966, and though he has always tried to avoid the spotlight, she’s more devoted to him than ever.
“Work is everything to me,” Parton explained. “That’s all I know. It’s what I do. It’s how all these things have come to pass.” She believes that songwriting is her “gift” but said, “I love to sing, too, and I love to perform. So, it’s just all one thing to me.”
“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,” she continued. “I’d worked in the fields, being a country girl, and I’ve done all that menial labor because that was just the chores and stuff we had to do back home. But I hated every minute of it. I didn’t like school, either.”
Related: Dolly Parton Reveals Real Reason Her Husband Of 57 Years Stays Out Of The Spotlight
Parton’s Move To Nashville
Parton moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue a country music career right after she graduated from high school.
“I thought, ‘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,'” she recalled.
Parton has always been known for her unique look that includes big hair and lots of makeup.
“There’s a lot of maintenance,” she admitted of her appearance. “My joke of ‘It costs a lot of money to look this cheap,’ that’s so true because I like to look a certain way. I can’t just put on a little bit of makeup and think I look good because I don’t look good with a little bit of makeup.”
“I like to wear a lot of makeup. It fits my personality,” she added. “Even if somebody says, ‘Oh God, she was so over-made.’ Well, if it fits me, then I’m going to make everybody around me happy because I’m going to feel good myself.”
Related: Dolly Parton Announces She’s Retiring From Touring So She Can ‘Stay Closer To My Husband’
Parton Reveals Why Dean Stays Out Of The Spotlight
In November of last year, Parton opened up about why Dean prefers to stay out of the public eye.
“Carl has never been in the limelight and all, never wanted to be in it,” Parton stated, according to E! Online. “He don’t like it.”
Parton went on to recall the moment soon after her marriage that led to Dean deciding to stay out of the limelight for good.
“He went to one thing with me early on when we first married to a BMI Song of the Year, and he came out there taking off his tuxedo, his tie, and all that, and said, ‘Don’t ever ask me to go to another one of these damn things because I ain’t going,’” she remembered. “I never asked him and he never did.”
Though Dean stays out of the public eye, he still gives Parton advice about her music.
“I had done a couple of things in the past, just some rock things. He said, ‘It’s okay. It’s okay.’ He’s very honest,” she stated. “We have such a great relationship. I know not to ask him if I don’t want an honest answer.”
Find out more about Parton’s marriage in the video below.
The devotion that Parton has to her husband is truly inspirational. We can only hope and pray that he continues to have good health, as we would not want to see Parton have to retire anytime soon!
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