Dolly Parton, 77, Says Age ‘Shouldn’t Matter’ As She Gets Candid On Aging

Feb 20, 2023 by apost team

When it comes to country music royalty, Dolly Parton is easily one of the most iconic names in the business. Known for her impeccable songwriting skills and unique singing voice, Parton has been a huge influence on the music industry for decades with hits such as “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “Coat of Many Colors.” She also penned and originally recorded “I Will Always Love You” in 1973 before it was later made famous by vocal powerhouse Whitney Houston in 1992.

With her vibrant, bubbly personality, unique vocal tone and beautiful songwriting skills, Parton has become one of the most well-loved entertainers in Hollywood. Even more beautiful than her voice and lyricism is the fact that Parton uses her platform for the betterment of others through donations and charity work.

Her humble beginnings could be one of the reasons for her kind heart. The “Jolene” singer grew up as one of 12 children in a poor Tennessee family, and her journey to stardom is one that draws an outpouring of love and admiration. Parton’s musical talents became known early on, and before long, she began writing her own songs. After graduating high school in 1964, Parton moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to become a star. 

Despite her revered status as an entertainer, Parton has not been able to escape the conversation around aging, which is a very talked-about topic in the entertainment industry. 

In a quick chat with Insider, Parton, 77, talked about her thoughts on aging and how she manages to overcome the obstacles that come with the natural human process. 

Read on to learn more about Parton’s take on aging and what her routine is on a daily basis.

As a country superstar, Parton spends a lot of time in the limelight, and with that comes the heavy burden of criticism. As with most women in entertainment, a lot of it concerns her looks. She delved into the issue on the WorkLife with Adam Grant podcast and said:

“The main advice that people wanted to give me was to change my look — to go simpler with my hair and the way that I dress. Not to look so cheap, nobody was ever going to take me seriously, they would say."

She added: 

“The way I look and the way I looked then was a country girl's idea of glam… People wanted me to change, they thought I looked cheap. But I patterned my look after the town tramp. Everybody said, 'She's trash.' And in my little girl mind, I thought, 'Well, that's what I'm going to be when I grow up.' It was really like a look I was after.”

She said she felt she “wasn't a natural beauty. So, I just like to look the way I look. I'm so outgoing inside in my personality, that I need the way I look to match all of that.”

In a previous interview with Insider, Parton confessed that some of her best work was done at 3:00 a.m.

"I don't need a whole lot of sleep," Parton revealed. "I go to bed pretty early, but even if I've been up late, it's just kind of like a little clock inside of me that says, 'It's 3 o'clock! I get enough sleep. I don't require as much sleep as a lot of other people do. That's kind of a Parton family trait" 

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Apart from waking up at 3:00 in the morning, Parton also admitted that she does not have any “big rituals” with her skin:

"I don't think you have to pay a ton of money to have good products,” she clarified. "Most of the products that cost less are just as good, and sometimes better than the ones that cost a fortune." 

In another interview with Insider, while she was promoting her new line of baking recipes, Parton got candid about the idea of aging. Seeing young people today and what they’re going through, she said that she’d rather be her age now than any younger. 

"They say wisdom comes with age, and you can't stop the aging process, nor the numbers,” she added. 

But like any other artist at her age, she also has dreams of getting younger. 

"Of course, everyone would like to stay 35 forever, and in my mind, I kind of do. But I can't get caught in that trap of thinking, 'I've got to do this or that.' The way I live, the way I work, the way I feel, I'm going to make every moment count. I may live to be 100 or I may die tomorrow, but whenever that is, I will know I died trying, and I will know I've done everything I could to make the most of everything,” she elaborated. 

At her age, Parton already has a room full of awards, recognitions and platinum records. But despite this, the country music legend remains unfazed, as she feels she can do a lot more:

"As long as I stay healthy, the numbers shouldn't matter. I don't feel my age, I don't work my age, I don't think my age, and hopefully, I don't look my age!" she quipped. 

Isn’t Dolly Parton beautiful? What do you think of her morning routine? Do you share the same thoughts with Parton about aging? What can you say about it? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends and other Dolly Parton fans!