Whether you like country music or not, it’s hard not to appreciate the longevity, personality, and compassion of musical icon Dolly Parton. Indeed, everyone seems to love Dolly, and with good reason! In addition to her prolific career as a singer-songwriter, Parton has developed a stellar reputation for her philanthropic endeavors and down-to-earth attitude.
Parton has lived up to this reputation countless times over the decades, but one of my favorite Dolly moments came from a 1979 appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
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Dolly Parton’s Adorable 1979 Television Appearance
On September 19, 1979, country icon Dolly Parton visited The Tonight Show to celebrate the announcement of the Dolly Parton Parkway in east Tennessee, talk about upcoming projects (the working woman’s film 9 to 5 came out the following year), and share a bit about her life outside of show business. Parton and show host Johnny Carson laugh like old friends throughout the entire interview, but the real “star” moment takes place toward the end of the segment.
As their conversation came to a close, Parton began introducing a song she wrote specifically for her 1979 appearance on the show. “I wrote this song cause it’s been real good for me ever since I started on your show,” Parton said. “You said one time, once I got to be real famous, I probably wouldn’t come back on the show. But I always will. I’m here about as much as you are,” the country star laughed.
Pulling out an acoustic guitar from behind her chair, Parton gets into a playing position as she tells Carson how much she enjoys his work on The Tonight Show. Referencing the song she’s about to play, she humbly adds, “It’s all in the words. You know, I think it is. It’s not supposed to be too serious.”
A Perfect Ode To “The Johnny Carson Show”
Of all the reasons to love Dolly Parton, her 1979 appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson is easily in my top 10. First, let’s discuss the nails: even with lengthy acrylics on, Parton strums her acoustic guitar with ease. Who knew it was possible to play guitar with nails that long? She did, apparently. Following a classic country cadence, Parton begins to sing.
I have come a long way from the hills of Tennessee, and I’ve worked hard to make the folks back home real proud of me. Now everybody knows my name no matter where I go, but I never really made it ‘til the Johnny Carson Show. Parton continues to talk about growing up in her hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee, and dreaming of fame as a young girl. With imaginative couplets like from K-Mart to Gucci and from pop beads to diamonds, Parton hammers home her humble roots.
But with each verse, Parton returns to the song’s main premise: I never really made it ‘til the Johnny Carson show. She laughs as she makes her way through each stanza’s line, sometimes pausing momentarily to remember the words. Parton even pokes fun at herself, mentioning, Folks sometimes get me confused with Monti Rock III. Silliness aside, Parton’s special tribute to Johnny Carson is as down-to-earth as it is gracious and as comedic as it is sincere.
Parton’s 1979 appearance on The Tonight Show doesn’t just show off the writing and playing skills that helped build her entire career. It showcases the kind-hearted attitude that has made her one of the most beloved women in music of all time.
Photo by Richard E. Aaron/Redferns
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