Dolly Parton explained that the reason she doesn’t have children is because she believes that she is not destined to be a parent. Instead, she pursues charity projects, including a program that provides free books to poor children. The singer said that if she had children, she wouldn’t be able to do everything she does now.

Legendary singer and actress Dolly Parton has spoken openly about her decision not to have children, noting that her burgeoning career could have taken a different direction had she chosen to become a parent.

“I’m glad I never had children”

At a Nashville laundromat in 1964, Dolly Parton met her soul mate, Tennessee construction manager Carl Dean. They married two years later. Now 77, Dolly has revealed why she never wanted to have children.

Dolly Parton (left) married businessman Carl Thomas Dean in 1966, with no children.

In an interview with Saga Magazine, she shared: “I didn’t miss out on motherhood as much as I thought. When we were young, we thought about having children. However, it wasn’t a burning desire in me. I have a career, music, and love to travel. If I had children, I would stay home with them. I would definitely spend a lot of time worrying about them.”

“With everything going on in society today, I hate bringing a child into this world. I always say that God didn’t give me children so that all the children would be mine,” Dolly confided.

In another interview with Mojo magazine, she shared: “Everything is out there. Children know everything. They see everything. They hear everything. We have to discuss things. I know it sounds selfish and horrible to say this, but I’m almost glad I never had children. I even worry about my grandchildren.”

The secret to keeping a marriage for more than 6 decades

The music icon has opened up about the secrets behind her 59-year marriage. Speaking on Zoe Ball’s BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show, she highlighted honesty, humour, mutual respect and love as the factors that make their marriage work.

“My husband is crazy, funny and smart. And I have a great sense of humor from both sides of my family. So I think humor always helps,” Dolly humorously revealed.

Speaking about the key to a successful marriage, Dolly asserted: “You know, there’s a lot to be said for that. So we don’t always see each other. He’s in the business, so we have different interests, but we still have things we like to do together. So it was meant to be, I think. He’s the person I was supposed to have and vice versa.”

Dolly also praises her husband’s honesty. She says he never shies away from giving his opinion in a harsh way. Even when criticizing her work, like her new album, his candid feedback means a lot to Dolly.

“When I finished the whole album, my husband said, ‘It’s really good,’ and that was very important to me. The fact that he just said it was good, it was really good, meant a lot to me,” the singer shared.

Dolly Parton wears Playboy outfit on her husband’s birthday in 2021.
Dolly pays close attention to her outfit choices because: “I like to dress up for my husband to see. Every day, I wear makeup and do my hair. I always dress nicely when I go out and I won’t be sloppy at home. No one wants to cuddle a sloppy person! It’s very important to me to be as beautiful as possible in the eyes of my husband. That’s one of the secrets to a passionate marriage,” said the country music legend.

Dolly’s candor about her choices for a loving marriage continues to inspire fans around the world. Despite her age, country singer Dolly still wows fans with her ageless skin.

Dolly Parton, born in 1946, is one of the most successful artists in the US in the 20th century. She made her name with her country music career and sold more than 100 million records worldwide. During her career, Parton composed more than 3,000 songs and had many hits such as I Will Always Love You, Jolene, Coat of Many Colors… In addition, she appeared in more than 50 film and theater projects, receiving nominations for many acting awards such as Oscar, Golden Globe, Tony…