Dolly Parton reveals the surprising career path she would have pursued had it not been for superstardom

Country music queen Dolly Parton has revealed what career path she may have chosen had superstardom not knocked at her door.

The insight came as the country music legend reflected on her decades-long career in an interview with E! News, revealing that she does not care about fame and does what she wants regardless of being in the public eye.

“Had I not been in showbusiness, if I hadn’t have made it, I probably would have been a beautician because I still would’ve had all that hair and makeup,” she said.

It seems choosing the entertainment industry was a sound decision with Parton having released a slew of successful albums in addition to gracing the silver screen in several popular movies

While Parton has racked up many accolades in her long career, the 77-year-old admitted one particular “highlight ” of her life was being admitted to the Grand Ole Oprey in Tennessee in 1969.

“Well, I’m proud of all of them, but I think one of the things that remains with me is that when I was younger I wanted to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry, so when I became a member back in the late 60s, to me, that’s still a highlight of my life,” she said.

While Parton is renowned for her electrifying live performances and timeless music, she recently 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.

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.