Dolly Parton Is A Rockstar

About Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton was last on the show back in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, and we talked on the phone about her Christmas traditions, her childhood in East Tennessee, and her incredible work getting millions of kids to read through the Imagination Library. This time I got to sit down with her in person at her studio outside of Nashville, and she hasn’t slowed down one bit. She told me all about her latest album, Rockstar, which features 30 rock and roll classics, from covers like Prince’s “Purple Rain” and Bob Seger’s “Night Moves,” to some powerful new Dolly Parton originals. She’s also just released a new book called Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones, which documents more than six decades of outfits, costumes, and iconic looks from a career in the spotlight.

What Dolly Parton Talks About In This Episode

• New album "Rockstar"
• Her husband's love for rock and roll music
• Collaborating with so many women on this new album
• Singing with Miley
• Her favorite biscuits
• Getting through the pandemic
• Putting Rocky Top on album as a bonus for Tennessee
• Her new book, Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones
• Imagination Library
• Dollywood
• On being Southern

Quotes From Dolly Parton

"I love Miley. Any time we get a chance to sing together, we'll take it. But I just think our voices are so compatible. Of course, we know each other. We're kind of like little heartmates somehow, so I think we feel it, and she's listened to me all her life, and I've heard her, so if I start to go one place, she knows. She'll go there. Same with her. If she starts to go somewhere, I feel it. That's one of my favorite songs. I love the song, and I love singing with Miley." - Dolly Parton

"Clothes are like songs... They stir up memories, they stir up feelings, they stir up times and things that you were thinking and feeling. And I think just the same is true with clothes, I'll go in my closet and I'll see an outfit that I wore. It might even have a certain perfume I was wearing at the time. You know, I could still smell it especially on stage clothes. You know how songs will just stir you in so many ways, especially if you've had a break up, you know, it'd just kill you if you hear one of those sad songs. Same thing if you're happy and you hear one of those, and you're new in love. And same thing with clothes. They just kind of take you on a journey. And this is a journey into my life. I've been in this business six decades, and so I started when I was 10 up in Knoxville, right across from UT." - Dolly Parton

About Biscuits & Jam

In the South, talking about food is personal. It's a way of sharing your history, your family, your culture, and yourself. Each week Sid Evans, editor in chief of Southern Living, sits down with celebrity musicians to hear stories of how they grew up, what inspired them, and how they've been shaped by Southern culture. Sid takes us back to some of their most cherished memories and traditions, the family meals they still think about, and their favorite places to eat on the road. Download and listen to this episode of Biscuits & Jam with Dolly Parton on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or everywhere podcasts are available.

Editor’s Note: Please be mindful that this transcript does not go through our standard editorial process and may contain inaccuracies and grammatical errors