Dolly Parton responds to whether or not she’s retiring

Is Dolly Parton retired?

Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton officially turns 77 years old today. Born on January 19, 1946, in Pittman Center, Tennessee, Parton started her incredible career in music as a child performer at the very young age of 10. Fast-forward to the present, Parton is regarded as one of the living music legends, especially in the genre of country music. With several chart-topping hits, best-selling albums, sold-out concerts, and various awards under her belt, is Parton now planning to retire?

Is Dolly Parton still active?

Dolly Parton performing
Credit: Dolly Parton/Twitter

Yes. Parton is still active in the music scene and in the entertainment industry as a whole. In fact, in an interview with Us Weekly published in January 2023, the country music legend revealed that she has no plans of slowing down anytime soon.

“I don’t think I could retire if I wanted to. Cause I’ve dreamed myself into a corner, as I say. Cause all these wonderful things keep happening and you gotta keep the dream alive,” the country music icon explained. “Since I love to work, I always say I’ll just work. ‘I’m gonna make hay while the sun shines,’ is the old saying. So, I’m gonna do that until I can’t do it anymore.”

This isn’t the first time Parton has talked about retirement. Back in 2018, Parton said that she actually has no plans to ever retire fully. She even shared that if it were up to her, she would like to die on stage.

“There’s a whole lot to be said for loving your work and having confidence in yourself. I never once thought of retiring,” Parton told People (via MusicMayhemMagazine.com) at the time. “I just hope I fall dead in the middle of a song, hopefully one I wrote, right on stage. That’s the way I go!”

The 9 to 5 hitmaker, however, made it clear that she’s now at the point in her life where her top priority is her 80-year-old husband, Carl Dean.

“If my husband needed me, or someone in my family, I would put him first,” Parton said. “I’ve always put myself first and my career first, but if something were to happen to him, I would pull back on that. [But] I’d still find a way to work, still find a way to be productive.”

Is Dolly Parton retiring from touring?

Although Parton has no plans of abandoning her guitar and country boots, she recently announced her retirement from touring in her cover story for the October 2022 issue of Pollstar magazine.

“I do not think I will ever tour again, but I do know I’ll do special shows here and there, now and then,” said the music icon. “Maybe do a long weekend of shows, or just a few shows at a festival. But I have no intention of going on a full-blown tour anymore. I’ve done that my whole life, and it takes so much time and energy.”

Parton added that she made this decision because she doesn’t like the feeling of being away from her husband for a long period of time. “I like to stay a little closer to home with my husband.,” she explained. “We’re getting older now, and I don’t want to be gone for four or five weeks at a time. Something could happen. I would not feel right about that, if I were gone and somebody needed me. Or I would feel bad if I had to leave a tour if somebody got sick at home and needed me and then I had to walk out on the fans.”

Parton’s last major tour was in 2016. This 60-date tour across the United States and Canada was in support of her 45th solo studio album, titled Pure & Simple.

Promo art for Dolly Parton's 2016 Pure & Simple Tour
Promo art for Dolly Parton’s 2016 Pure & Simple Tour

Though it looks like this major tour won’t be getting any follow-up, Parton is confident that she will be able to keep her connections with her fans with the help of today’s technology. “I don’t ever feel separated from my fans because, in this high-tech world, you can be right with them,” said the composer of the international pop hit I Will Always Love You. “You can do special shows in special ways. I will be doing some of that.”

What is Dolly Parton doing now?

After getting inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in November 2022, Parton is currently working on her first-ever rock album, titled Rock Star.

During her January 2023 appearance on The View, Parton confirmed that her upcoming album will include collaborations with Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks, Cher, P!NK, Brandi Carlile, John Fogerty, Steve Perry, and Steven Tyler. She also mentioned during the interview that she’s trying to get Mick Jagger, Elton John, Jimmy Page, and Robert Plant to appear in the album as well.

In her cover story for Pollstar, Parton also said that she would like to record tracks for her upcoming album with Ed Sheeran, Miley Cyrus, Chris Stapleton, and sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson of the rock band Heart,

The full track list for Parton’s rock album has yet to be unveiled. But Parton confirmed to The View that the album includes a cover The Rolling Stones’ Satisfaction, which she recorded with P!NK and Brandi Carlile.

Parton also told Pollstar that she’s going to re-record Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven for the rock album. She also shared at the time that her rock ‘n’ roll song Rockin’, which she first performed at the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will also be in included in the album.

The album doesn’t have an exact release date yet, but Sirius XM reported that it is rumored to be released sometime in the fall of 2023.

Dolly Parton on Taking Her Love of Cooking To a New Level | The View

What is Dolly Parton doing in 2023?

In addition to recording tracks for her rock album, it is believed that Dolly Parton will also be busy in 2023 working on her upcoming movie, Run, Rose, Run.

Starring Parton in the lead role, Run, Rose, Run is an adaptation of the New York Times bestseller novel of the same name by Parton and James Patterson. It tells the story of a young woman who heads to Nashville to pursue her music-making dreams and is taken under the wing of a female musical icon. The source of their heart-wrenching songs, however, are secrets both of them have tried to hide.

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When asked by Pollstar if Parton is back to starring in movies, the music legend said: “I wouldn’t consider me acting, because I’m just totally myself in this. I’m just Dolly all the way, I’m not playing a character. But as far as getting back into the movies, I am going to be doing a leading role in the Run, Rose, Run movie, from the novel I wrote with James Patterson that was a No. 1 bestseller! We’re doing a movie with that, working with Reese Witherspoon, her company’s producing it. I am going to be doing that. But if I find good roles, I’d like to still be in good movies here and there, now and then.”

Dolly Parton’s net worth

According to Parade, Parton has a reported net worth of $650 million as of January 2023.

Is Dolly Parton related to Miley Cyrus?

Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus in Hannah Montana
Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus in Hannah Montana

Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus are not related by blood even though the latter calls the former “Aunt Dolly”. The two, however, share a special bond, as Cyrus is Parton’s godchild. Parton is a very good friend of Cyrus’ father, Billy Ray Cyrus.

Does Dolly Parton have children?

No. Dolly Parton has no kids. In an interview with The Guardian back in 2014, Parton shared that she and husband Carl Dean thought about having kids when they first got married in 1966, “but it wasn’t meant to be.”

It’s unclear why the pair never had children, but one potential reason is the singer’s diagnosis of endometriosis, a painful condition that can lead to infertility. According to Closer Weekly, Parton had a partial hysterectomy to treat her symptoms — a medical procedure that includes the removal of the entire uterus and part of the cervix.

Sources: Us Weekly, MusicMayhemMagazine.com, Pollstar, Sirius XM, Parade, The Guardian, Closer Weekly
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