Dolly Parton, at the age of 77, is a shining star in both the country music scene and the world of celebrities. This talented singer from Tennessee has truly become a legend.
Dolly has been entertaining fans nearly her entire life, but she recently made a big announcement: she will stop touring, although she plans to keep making music.
In an interview with Pollstar, Dolly explained her decision, saying:
“I’ll do special shows here and there. Maybe a weekend of performances or a few at festivals, but I don’t plan on doing full tours anymore.”
Dolly, who rose from poverty in the Appalachian Mountains to become an international superstar, will surely be missed on the road. Although she won’t be touring, the country music icon is excited to focus more on her personal life, especially spending time with her husband, Carl Thomas Dean.
Dolly and Carl’s love story began in 1964 when she was just 18 and he was 21. They met outside a laundromat in Nashville, and Carl felt an instant connection. He later shared,
“My first thought was, ‘I’m gonna marry that girl,’” Carl recalled in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. “My second thought was, ‘She’s beautiful.’ That’s when my life really began. I wouldn’t trade the last 50 years for anything.”
Carl saw Dolly while sitting in his pickup truck and called out to her. Dolly shared in a 1976 interview with the New York Times that she initially turned down his offer for a date but invited him over when she was babysitting her nephew a few days later. That moment sparked the beginning of their beautiful love story.
In May 1966, Dolly and Carl secretly tied the knot in a private ceremony in Georgia. Even though Dolly’s record label wanted her to wait to get married to focus on her career, the couple didn’t want to delay their happiness. They married quietly to avoid media attention, with only Dolly, Carl, and her mother present at the ceremony.
Since that day, Dolly and Carl have shared a deep love. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2016 by renewing their vows, and now they will have even more time to enjoy each other’s company.
In her interview with Pollstar, Dolly opened up about why she is stepping back from touring:
“I’ve been doing this my whole life, and it takes a lot of time and energy. I’d rather stay closer to home with my husband. We’re both getting older, and I don’t want to be away for four or five weeks at a time. Something might happen, and I wouldn’t feel right if I wasn’t around. I’d feel bad if I had to leave a tour because someone at home needed me.”
Although she won’t be on tour, Dolly is still passionate about her music. She plans to create a rock n’ roll album as a tribute to her husband. Inspired by her nomination for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in May, she said,
“When I got the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination, I thought it was the perfect time. I’d always wanted to do it. My husband is a huge rock fan, and I’ve thought for years about making an album just for him.”
Besides her new album, Dolly has been busy working on her NBC special, Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas, which aired on December 1.
“It’s a show within a show. It focuses on all the behind-the-scenes drama. There are arguments with producers, problems with the artists, sets falling apart, and last-minute cancellations. I wouldn’t call it acting. I’m just being myself, just Dolly, not playing a role,” she explained.
Dolly is also teaming up with Reese Witherspoon to produce a film called Run, Rose, Run, based on the novel she co-wrote with James Patterson.
Throughout her life, Dolly Parton has been a symbol of strength and resilience. Her choice to stop large-scale touring makes sense given everything she has faced. In the 1980s, she dealt with serious health issues while pushing herself in her career.
At just 35 years old, Dolly collapsed on stage during a performance in Indianapolis. After that, she discovered she had endometriosis, a painful condition that can cause heavy periods and fatigue. Back then, she had dismissed her symptoms as just “female problems.”
Before her 1982 Indianapolis show, her doctor advised her to take a break, but Dolly didn’t listen and went on stage anyway. Unfortunately, she collapsed and had to be flown to New York for medical care. As a result, she canceled the remaining 30 dates of her 35-stop U.S. and Canada tour and later underwent surgery for a partial hysterectomy.
Reflecting on that time, Dolly said, “I was pushing myself too hard. I wasn’t watching what I ate or paying attention to nutrition. I was working non-stop while dealing with personal and emotional issues.”
Now, as she enters this new chapter in her life, Dolly is choosing to prioritize her health and family over the demands of touring. Though she may not be on stage as often, her fans can still look forward to new music and exciting projects, all while she enjoys more quality time with her beloved husband, Carl.
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