Dolly Parton has spent the last 60 years as one of the most notable figures in country music. It's Parton who undoubtedly has brought millions of fans to the genre, although she says it's much more than that. In a resurfaced 1977 interview with Johnny Carson, Parton explains why she believes country music is so popular. Not surprisingly, her words still ring true almost 50 years later.
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"It's mighty big, but I think that country music is music with a lot of class, and a lot of soul," Parton explains. "Of course, it's just ordinary stories told by ordinary people, and sometimes in an extraordinary way. ... It touches home."
Parton credits her rural upbringing, as one of 12 children, with her early inclination towards music, and love of good food.
"God, music and food were the three big things in our family," Parton tells foxnews.com. "I think home tastes like Mama. I think you always link those childhood memories with certain childhood foods that you love and the people that prepare them for you."
Dolly Parton's Legacy In Country Music
Of course, not even Parton could have guessed in 1977 that she would go on to have one of the most successful careers in country music of all time. Parton is a member of both the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame, and is still writing, recording and creating.
Parton, who will soon have a musical out about her life, admits that all of her hard work came with a lot of rewards, and a lot of sacrifices.
"I've sacrificed time with family and friends. I gave up vacations for work without end," Parton says, celebrating her new Journey of a Seeker exhibit opening at the Country Music Hall of Fame. "Twenty-four seven, 365, but I was willing to make that sacrifice. But empty or full, I've carried my pain. But you don't drink the water if you don't dig the well."
It might have cost Parton a lot, but she says it was all more than worth it in the end.
"Grindstones and rhinestones have made up my life, and you ask, 'Was it worth the sacrifice?' Well, I reckon it was because I'm here tonight," she says.
