12/17/14-Dolly Parton: Never Retire

Dolly Parton would die performing ‘anyone’s song’ as long as she was happy. The 68-year-old country musician released her 42nd album called Blue Smoke this year, and it has been one of her most commercially successful ‘ particularly in the UK. She shows no signs of slowing down just yet, with Dolly reiterating her belief that passing away on stage would be the best way to go.
‘I just always loved to work. Even when people think, ‘Oh well she’s made a comeback.’ Well I never went anywhere. I’m always behind the scenes working on something. I’ll be working until the day I die, I hope,’ she told UK TV show Good Morning Britain.
‘I’ve always said I’d like to keel over right in the middle of a song, hopefully on stage. And hopefully a song I’ve written. But I’ll take anybody’s song if I could go out with a smile.’
The album’s achievement crowns a great year for the pneumatic blonde, who took to the stage at the Glastonbury music festival in the summer. Her set went down a storm, even though she had to battle some claims that she mimed. That hasn’t put the star off though, with Dolly explaining the experience is one of her biggest career highlights.
‘It was amazing because I had been so tense and nervous, I wasn’t sure about getting that crowd. And with everybody saying what a big deal it was. when they say it’s such a big deal, you think, ‘Uh oh! Should I be nervous?’ But the crowd was great and I was hoping they’d like me and they seemed to!’ she enthused. ‘I liked them and we just had a good old time. I even wrote a song about the mud for them, so they liked that! It turned out really great and I was very proud.’