Dolly Parton's death at the age of 80 has left the entire world heartbroken. Amid that, her interview, in which she said she wanted to tell her story while she was still alive, has made headlines.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleDolly Parton wanted the world to know her story while she was alive. However, unfortunately, while she was working towards making it happen, the big debut will still take place after her death. For those who don't know, the country singer passed away on August 25, 2026 (ET), following a brief battle with cancer.
Dolly Parton was reflecting on her legacy a year before her death. The country music legend sat down for a conversation with PEOPLE in 2025 and reflected on her trailblazing career. She opened up about why she wanted the world to know her story and to do so while she was still alive. The I Will Always Love You singer spoke at length about the inspiration behind her musical, Dolly: A True Original Musical, and revealed that it was based on her many career and philanthropic ventures.
Dolly Parton had been in the entertainment industry for decades, and it was important to her that the world knew her journey. The musical, which began with a four-week 2025 limited engagement in Nashville before coming to Broadway in New York City in 2026 winter, was just that. Talking to the publication, Dolly asserted that whenever she imagined her story being told, she always thought it "would be better as a musical than a biopic."
Dolly Parton shared that everyone was doing a biopic. However, given her skills as a writer and songwriter, she felt she could write some original music that, to her, could contain more detail than simple writing. She felt that her story was "very interesting", but a three-hour show would be too long, thus making it about two and a half hours. She knew that her story was generational. She stated:
"From the way I grew up, coming from no electricity in my early years. It's like I came from the dark ages into the new age. And that's fascinating to people. And it is to me as well, to think where I came from to where I've gone, where I've come to now. I think I was willing at my age now to be able to tell my story."
Dolly shared that, because she had been through "a lot", it was important for her to have a say in how her story was told, and she wanted to do so while she was alive. She revealed that it was her story and her truth; hence, she felt that it would have been in the best interest if it came from her. Dolly admitted that she wanted people to see how she saw her life, not someone else's perspective on it. She stated:
"I wanted to tell my life story from me, my truth, not somebody else's. Because I'm sure there'll be so many stories of Dolly Parton through the years, and everybody will have their own take on it. Whether it be their take of the Dolly Parton years or whether it be Dolly this or this or that. But I wanted to tell my story while I was still alive. I wanted to tell how I see my life and how it was from me."
In the same conversation, Dolly Parton revealed that she had all these hits. However, it was what went on behind the scenes that truly captured the essence. She alleged that her fans, too, found it interesting, as they could better picture what she was talking about in context. While she admitted that many people found it surprising how candid she was willing to be, to her it was about the art and the truth behind her art. She stated:
"So I wanted to write some original pieces. Of course, I had to add all the hits. But the fact that I told how they came to be, what was going on behind it, it's kind of like I did in my Songteller book when I talked about my songs and the stories behind them. That's really interesting to people, I think. And a lot of people didn't know. A lot of people were surprised that I was willing to divulge so many personal things, but so what?"
She had concluded the conversation by saying that while people think they know everything, there is a lot they still don't. However, she alleged that would change as they would know a lot by watching the musical. Dolly Parton even spoke about why she chose Broadway, saying it was simply because she had done so many things in life and didn't see why Broadway couldn't be added to the list.
Preview performances for Dolly Parton's Dolly: A True Original Musical will begin on December 7, 2026, at New York City's St. James Theatre. The opening night is set for January 19, 2027, which would have been Dolly's 81st birthday. For those who don't know, Dolly passed away on August 25, 2026, after being admitted to the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville on August 21, 2026.
Since the news of Dolly Parton's death broke, her fans and industry peers have been sharing their memories and tributes for the singer. Amid that, The Grand Ole Opry will also be giving Dolly Parton a special sendoff. According to TMZ, the country music's biggest platform has decided to dedicate its entire Saturday night, August 29, 2026.
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