NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — This full conversation premieres tonight, Thursday, October 19 at 9:30 p.m. ET. You can watch here for free on CBS News Streaming or the CBS News app or on demand via Paramount+.
At 77, country legend Dolly Parton isn't slowing down. CBS Evening News anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell recently traveled to Nashville’s Lipscomb University to sit down with Parton to hear what’s next for the global icon.
Known for her timeless music and roots in Tennessee, Parton is pivoting to a new genre - rock “n” roll. Her 49th studio album “Rockstar” will be released on November 17. Despite this shift, Parton's core message remains unchanged: "We should all love one another."
On her confidence to try new things? Parton said, “I don't want to be anybody else. I'm not responsible for anybody else, but I'm responsible for myself. But I think there's a lot to be said about self-confidence. I was confident in my talent, and I was confident in who I was as a person.”
Often considered a fashion icon, Parton is also out with a new book, "Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones," which dives into the stories of her dresses, shoes, and wigs. At the same time, Parton told O’Donnell, “I don't care about following fashion. I've never been one to follow what other people are doing. I just had my own personality, my own thought of who I was, and how I wanted to look.”
For Dolly Parton, it’s all about the “intent of your heart.” When O’Donnell asked how Parton practices spirituality, she said, “I live my spirituality. You know, that's how you practice it. Mostly. You just live it and be it…. I just think you just need to claim it and live it. And you're gonna apply that to whatever you do. I don't think you have to be a saint. I don't think you have to be so strict that you can't have fun. You know, it's all about the intent of your heart.”
There’s more in store for Parton. While she stays true to her upbringing in Tennessee, Parton said she never knows what’s next.
"I wake up with new dreams every day. I'm always dreaming. I'm always doing, and I hope to do that 'til the day I die, which I hope is a long time from now," Parton said.
This full conversation premieres tonight, Thursday, October 19 at 9:30 p.m. ET. You can watch here for free on CBS News Streaming or the CBS News app or on demand via Paramount+.
