Dolly Parton chooses love over the stage as she bids farewell to touring

Dolly Parton, renowned for her electrifying live performances and timeless music, has declared that she won’t be gracing the touring circuit once again.

Her reason? A deep-seated longing to prioritise her cherished relationship with her husband, Carl Dean.

Parton, whose career spans over six remarkable decades, has been a beacon of inspiration for generations of artists and music enthusiasts alike.

Known for her enchanting voice, boundless energy, and undeniable connection with her audience, Parton’s live concerts have always been highly anticipated events.

However, the songstress recently opened up about her decision to put a stop to her tours while promoting her new album and book, Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones with Good Housekeeping.

“I don’t tour anymore,” she revealed.

“I’ve got so many business things I’m doing. And my husband and I are getting older—he’s a little older than I am—and I kind of need to be with him.”

Parton also stressed that assembling a tour demands significant dedication, regardless of one’s age.

“You got to be committed to that. And I did that all my life,” she explained.

While Parton will be spending less time on the stage, her adoring fans have no need to worry about the prospect of never seeing her perform again as the 9 to 5 hitmaker revealed she’s open to the idea of performing for one-off shows with other artists and television specials and has no plans to retire.

“I might take off of you know, a month instead of a week, but no, I don’t plan to ever retire unless my husband was sick and really needed me, or I was sick, that’d be the only two reasons I would ever quit. And let’s hope that never happens,” she said.

Congratulations on your new book @DollyParton! ✨

Order yours: https://t.co/nHsQEixYvp
*randomly selected copies of Behind the Seams purchased on TSL will be signed by Dolly* https://t.co/pUpx9e9i59

— talkshoplive (@TalkShopLive) October 17, 2023

Demonstrating her unwavering commitment to her career, Parton revealed in a recent interview with Greatest Hits Radio that “she would never retire” and that she “would hopefully drop dead in the middle of a song on stage someday”.

“I don’t have much of a choice in that but in the meantime, I’m going to make hay while the sun shines,” she added.

Parton’s career took off in 1967 with her debut album Hello, I’m Dolly after finding success as a songwriter. She achieved remarkable success in the 1960s and 1970s as a solo artist and in duets with Porter Wagoner. While her albums in the 1990s didn’t perform as well, she made a strong comeback in the 2000s, releasing albums on independent labels, including her own Dolly Records.

She’s one of the best-selling female artists ever with many gold, platinum, and multi-platinum albums certified by the RIAA. Parton holds the record for the most number-one singles on the Billboard country music charts by a female artist, tied with Reba McEntire, and boasts 44 Top 10 country albums, a record for any artist. With over 110 charted singles, she’s one of the most prolific songwriters, known for classics like I Will Always Love You, Jolene, Coat of Many Colors, and 9 to 5.

In addition to her music, Parton made her mark as an actress in films like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and Steel Magnolias, earning Golden Globe nominations. Her talents have won numerous awards, including 11 Grammy Awards, 10 CMA Awards (including Entertainer of the Year), five ACM Awards (including Entertainer of the Year), four People’s Choice Awards, and three American Music Awards. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999, received the National Medal of Arts in 2005, and was nominated for and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.