Dolly Parton

Terry Gross's interview with Dolly Parton delves into the legendary singer's life, from her humble beginnings in the Smoky Mountains to her status as a global icon. Parton shares intimate details about her musical upbringing, her songwriting journey, and the deliberate crafting of her larger-than-life persona.

Early Life and Musical Roots

Dolly Parton's journey began in 1946, in a one-room cabin nestled in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Gross inquires about the music that shaped Parton's childhood. Parton explains that her early musical influences were deeply rooted in the traditions of her community. "A lot of the stuff that we heard was that old porch-picking music, old songs brought back from England and Ireland, that old Appalachian music and a lot of the stuff that people up in the mountains wrote," Parton recounts. Her mother and maternal relatives were all musical, playing and singing together. Parton recalls singing many old gospel songs, some of which were written by her own family members to sound ancient.

When asked about the most musical person in her family, Parton humorously replies, "All of us." She highlights her mother's musicality and her Grandpa Jake, a Pentecostal preacher about whom she wrote the song "Daddy Was an Old-Time Preacher Man" years ago. Grandpa Jake, she notes, was a "music teacher of sorts" in the hills. With 12 children in the family—six girls and six boys—Parton confirms that they all sang, wrote, and played. She attributes her own success not necessarily to superior talent, but to a greater willingness to "sacrifice and work a little harder" than her siblings, who often prioritized starting families and pursuing other endeavors.