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Dolly Parton Says She Gave Up A Lot For Her Iconic Career: “I Never Had Children… But Was Willing To Make That Sacrifice”
She gave up a lot.
Dolly Parton is gearing up to release her new book Star of the Show: My Life on Stage by Dolly Parton, which comes out on November 11th, and she sat down with Entertainment Tonight ahead of the release to talk about meeting her late husband Carl Dean on her first trip to Nashville, the new musical about her life that’s headed to Broadway, and her incredibly iconic country music career at large.
Of course, Dolly has won countless awards, scored chart-topping hits, and has done everything and more she could’ve ever hoped or dreamed to accomplish.
But it all came at a price.
She sacrificed working on holidays, family trips, weddings, funerals and so many other big life events in order to make her career work, and she explained that they were all sacrifices she was willing to make because of how much she loved music and wanted to realize her dreams.
In particular, she talked about the fact that she and Dean never had any children, which was obviously a huge sacrifice, though a lot of that decision had to do with health issues too:
“Well, I don’t know that there’s a specific one for me. I never had children, that’s a sacrifice you make. Although, there were a lot of health reasons for that as well. But, I think the fact that I missed time with family and friends, just like my song, you know, 24/7, 365, but I was willing to make that sacrifice.
You give up time for all the things… really, I don’t go on vacations, I don’t hardly ever have time for any of that. But I was willing to do it. And so it’s brought me here, and had I not spent life that way, I would not have this book.”
Dolly previously said in a 2014 interview with The Guardian that her life would have probably been much different if they did, because obviously, she would’ve poured everything into being a great mom:
“You always wonder… My husband and I, when we first got married, we thought about if we had kids, what would they look like? Would they be tall… because he’s tall? Or would they be little squats like me?”
They even had a name picked out for a little girl.
“If we’d had a girl, she was gonna be called Carla… Anyway, we talked about it, and we dreamed it, but it wasn’t meant to be. Now that we’re older? We’re glad. I would have been a great mother, I think.
I would probably have given up everything else. Because I would’ve felt guilty about that, if I’d have left them to work, to tour.”
Of course, having children would’ve made Dolly’s grueling work schedule all the more complex, and she doesn’t know if she would be the Dolly we all know and love today if she would’ve given parts of that up:
“Everything would have changed. I probably wouldn’t have been a star.”
I think there’s probably some truth in that her career would’ve looked much different, but I’m sure had her life taken that direction, she would’ve been an amazing mother and it would’ve been great. I’ve heard her say before that she believes God just different have it in the cards for her, and she was able to accept that and go on to have a career most anyone else could only dream of.
It’s worked out for her without kids, too, as she likes to say she’s everyone’s fairy-godmother now, and what she’s accomplished as an entertainer, businesswoman and philanthropist is nothing short of exceptional.
Following some recent health issues, Dolly had to postpone her 2025 Las Vegas residency, but she will return to Sin City in 2026 to fulfill those previously scheduled dates.
I ain’t dead yet! pic.twitter.com/Mp553laadI
— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) October 8, 2025
The post Dolly Parton Says She Gave Up A Lot For Her Iconic Career: “I Never Had Children… But Was Willing To Make That Sacrifice” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.
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