A large part of what made Dolly Parton so special—besides her prolific talent, crossover capabilities beyond country music, and stunning physical appearance—was her ability to connect authentically with virtually everyone she met. From high-profile colleagues to loyal fans, Parton emitted an air of quiet assurance, genuine kindness, and a razor-sharp wit. Her conversations with teenagers were no different, as shown in an unearthed 1983 interview.
Parton sat down with five teenagers for a television special called Dolly Parton Meets The Kids. During the hour-long program, Parton fielded questions from teens ranging from professional questions, like how she got her start in Nashville and found inspiration for her songwriting, to personal questions about her marriage, sex, personality, and her own experiences with school. The country icon answered the teens’ questions graciously and without a hint of condescension.
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She maintained this attitude even as one teenager challenged her about country music. The teen prefaced his question with a comment: “To be honest and open with you, I don’t really like country music.”
Dolly Parton Spoke Bluntly (And Kindly) About Country Music
No one can deliver a “bless your heart” quite like a Southern woman, and Dolly Parton said as much in different words when speaking to the teenage boy who admitted not to like country music. “To be honest and open with you,” she replied to the boy, “I don’t really care.” Parton delivered the line with her signature toothy smile and a laugh, making it clear she was just teasing the teenager. The teen, meanwhile, admitted that he might not like it because he doesn’t understand it.
Rather than defend the musical genre that made her famous, Parton empathized with the teens. She said that country music was something that required deep, focused listening, and she acknowledged that teens don’t often have the time to engage in that way. Moreover, Parton said that although she liked country music, she wasn’t a fan of “corn-pone country music.” This music, she explained, was “real corny, the ‘twang, twang, twang.’”
“I can appreciate the fact that you don’t like a lot of it,” Parton told the original asker of the question. “But there is a lot about it that you would appreciate if you really got into it. It’s the kind of thing you kind of have to get into.”
Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
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