Dolly Parton, 76, reveals she will NEVER tour again following iconic six-decade music career

Dolly Parton has revealed she will never go on tour again – following an illustrious near 60-year recording career.

The country music icon, 76. confirmed to Pollstar that her days of touring are over, just four years after declaring she’d like to ‘die onstage’.   

She said: ‘I do not think I will ever tour again, but I do know I’ll do special shows here and there, now and then.

The star added that her decision stemmed from wanting to remain close to her husband Carl Thomas Dean. Dean, 80, wed Parton in 1966 but has remained almost totally out of the spotlight since. 

Icon; Dolly Parton has revealed she will never go on tour again – following an illustrious near 60-year recording career (pictured on her Pure & Simple Tour in 2016)

‘Maybe 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.’

She said: ‘I’ve done that my whole life, and it takes so much time and energy. 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.’

She added that ‘something could happen’ and she may have to leave a tour if one of her loved ones got sick, with the 9 To 5 hitmaker saying she didn’t want to disappoint her fans. 

Soulmates: The star added that her decision stemmed from wanting to remain close to her husband Carl Thomas Dean. Dean, 80, wed Parton in 1966 but has remained almost totally out of the spotlight since

Dolly last went on the road for the Pure & Simple tour which comprised of 65 shows in North America between June 2016 and July 2017. 

It was her 12th headlining concert tour, with the majority of shows on her past tours in Europe and Australia.

This comes after Dolly told People in 2018 that ‘dying in the middle of a song’ was the way she wanted to pass.

She said: ‘It’ll happen when it happens. That’s how I feel. I am grateful that I am still here. So many people have more talent than I’ve ever dreamed of having that never get to see dreams come true.

‘There’s a whole lot to be said for loving your work and having confidence in yourself. I never once thought of retiring…

‘I just hope I fall dead in the middle of a song, hopefully one I wrote, right on stage. That’s the way I go!”

The iconic singer’s career has spanned more than five decades following the release of her debut album, ‘Hello, I’m Dolly,’ in 1967. 

She has 11 Grammy Awards, 50 nominations, and a Lifetime Achievement Award under her belt and a laundry list of other achievements. 

Over and out: The country music icon, 76. confirmed to Pollstar that her days of touring are over, just four years after declaring she’d like to ‘die onstage’ (pictured on tour in 2016)

The star has built an estimated $650million fortune through her extensive catalog of publishing rights and her own theme park in Tennessee which she cofounded 35 years ago. 

Forbes revealed that Dolly’s largest asset is her theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, which she cofounded in 1986.

The amusement park is the biggest ticketed tourist attraction in the state and accounts for nearly 4,000 jobs, making it the largest employer in the community. 

Her library of more than 3,000 song credits — including Jolene and 9 to 5 — is estimated to bring in between $6-$8million per year.  

Parton originally recorded I Will Always Love You in 1974, though Whitney Houston recorded her version for the hit 1992 movie The Bodyguard, which she starred in with Kevin Costner. 

Hitched: They were wed in 1966 in a small Ringgold, Georgia ceremony just two years after meeting

‘When Whitney [Houston’s version] came out, I made enough money to buy Graceland,’ she told Country Music Television in 2006.  

Dolly has been married to Carl since 1966. The couple first met outside of a Nashville laundromat in 1964. They were wed two years later in a small Ringgold, Georgia ceremony attended only by Dolly’s mom and the pastor’s wife.   

Throughout their five-plus decades of marriage, Dean has eschewed the spotlight, opting not to appear at events or on red carpets with his love.

Dolly even admitted that her love has only seen her perform live one time when she sat down to talk on the Ellen DeGeneres show in 2011.

Still, the Islands In The Stream singer calls Dean her ‘biggest fan behind the scenes.’

Long time love: The child-free couple reportedly renewed their wedding vows back in 2016 to mark their 50th anniversary

‘He’s always supporting me as long as I don’t try to drag him in on it,’ Parton told People during the October premiere of her Netflix project Heartstrings. ‘He’s always been my biggest fan behind the scenes, but he’s at home.’

Despite their differences, Dolly is very protective of her and Carl’s relationship.

‘She still loves him with all her heart but they’re largely living separate lives and have been for some time,’ a source told the Enquirer.

Dolly admitted that she once had ‘an affair of the heart’ in the 2017 book Dolly On Dolly: Interviews And Encounters With Dolly Parton.

‘It just about killed me,’ she revealed in an interview, ‘I cried an ocean. But I ain’t gonna talk about it anymore. I’ve got to keep some mystery.’

Still, Parton has said that trust is at the foundation of her relationship with Dean, which she described as ‘open’ but not ‘sexually.’

Trust: Parton has said that trust is at the foundation of her relationship with Dean, which she described as ‘open’ but not ‘sexually’

Dolly Parton, 76, reveals she will NEVER tour again following iconic six-decade music career
Source: Viral Buzz Philippines