Dolly Parton Dishes on Her Upcoming Broadway Musical and Working With Family on New Album (Exclusive)
Written by Rtradio on June 6, 2024
Dolly Parton is making her career a family affair!
ET’s Rachel Smith spoke with the iconic singer ahead of her “Dolly! All Access Pop Up Experience” at Fan Fair X to kick off CMA Fest Thursday on the CMA Close Up Stage, and Parton is booked and busy. Among the many projects she’s got lined up, Parton is working on a new family album, Dolly Parton & Family: Smoky Mountain DNA — Family, Faith & Fables, which drops Nov. 15. She’s also got a docuseries in the works about her family’s history.
“I’ve always talked about my family and all the musical heritage,” Parton said, when asked about the impetus for the new album and docuseries. “One of my cousins, my first cousin and my uncle Louie’s boy, he’s kind of the family historian and he’s also a great writer, singer, he plays instruments. So he’s put together like this whole [genealogy], tracing our heritage all the way back, you know, to the U.K.”
“So it’s all about family this year, for sure,” Parton said with a laugh.
She also dished on her forthcoming cookbook, Good Lookin’ Cookin’, which she penned with her sister, Rachel Parton George.
“My sister Rachel and I are very excited. We have a new cookbook coming out, and it’s called Good Lookin’ Cookin’,” Parton said, “and she’s a good-looking cooker, no doubt about it!”
“We had so much fun working on the book and so she’s gonna be down here all week during the Fan Fair, cooking up some stuff and signing autographs and talking with the people and talking up our book,” Parton shared. “And they’re gonna love her because she’s a doll.”
On top of the cookbook, the family album, the docuseries, starting a new brand of wine and opening a hotel and museum in Nashville, Parton is also working on a Broadway musical about her life, Hello, I’m Dolly, opening in 2026.
“I’m very excited about the fact that I’m telling my life story,” Parton said of the musical. “There will be all the hit songs that people know, and how they came to be, and the stories behind them.”
“I’ve written a whole lot of original music, so it’s not a jukebox show,” Parton added. “It’s really an in depth story about my life from my early, early childhood — from the time I was about 5 to 7 years old all the way up to now.”
Looking at all the projects she’s involved in and those on the horizon, Parton marveled, “I’m blessed. I’ve been blessed with all of these things.”
“I wanted all these things to happen — but not all at once,” Parton joked. “But seriously, I’ve seen so many dreams come true and it’s been great.”
Parton is kicking off CMA Music Fest on June 6 with a special conversation from Fan Fair X with ET’s Rachel Smith. Check out the video below for more on Parton’s adventures.
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