In a recent interview with Pollstar, Parton opened up about her career, what she’s up to now and what she never plans to do again.
What is she up to now? For one thing, she’s working on a Christmas movie for NBC. She’s also acting in the movie adaption of the book she wrote with James Patterson, “Run, Rose, Run.” As if that’s not enough, she’s also working on a Rock ‘n Roll album. She was previously nominated for the Rock ‘n Roll hall of fame and turned down the nomination because she didn’t think she deserved it since she’s never released a Rock ‘n Roll album. She feels that releasing a Rock ‘n Roll album will make her feel like she earned it.
What will she never do again? Go on tour. When asked if she plans to tour within the next five years, Parton responded, “I do not think I will ever tour again.” Parton’s most recent tour was in 2016. Since then, due to Covid protocols, she has performed live online, but she has not done a tour.
Don’t be too quick to jump to conclusions when Parton says she won’t be going on tour anymore. She doesn’t mean that she will never perform again. Far from it. She continued, “I’ll do special shows here and there, now and then. Maybe do a long weekend of shows, or just a few shows at a festival. But I have no intention of going on a full-blown tour anymore. I’ve done that my whole life, and it takes so much time and energy.”
Parton is 76 years old, so it’s easy to understand why she would be ready to take it a little easier and not exert so much energy on a tour, but she’s not giving up tours just for herself. She’s also giving up touring for her husband, Carl Dean. She explained, “I like to stay a little closer to home with my husband. We’re getting older now, and I don’t want to be gone for four or five weeks at a time. Something could happen. I would not feel right about that, if I were gone and somebody needed me. Or I would feel bad if I had to leave a tour if somebody got sick at home and needed me and then I had to walk out on the fans.”
