Episode notes
(Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
Dolly Parton died on August 25, 2026. And in the days that followed, thousands of tributes to the late country singer poured out. People wrote about her impact on country music. Her efforts to promote literacy around the world. About what she meant to songwriters in Nashville and kids growing up in the mountains of Tennessee. And perhaps most importantly, people wrote about the impact Dolly Parton had on them, personally.
In 2012, Bullseye was lucky enough to have Dolly join us on the show. The trailblazing icon of country and western music had just written a book: Dream More: Celebrate the Dreamer in You. Dolly talked with us about her impoverished childhood, how she’s dealt with fame over the years, and some of the songs that can still make her cry.
This interview originally aired in December of 2012
In this episode...
Guests
- Dolly Parton
About the show
Bullseye is a celebration of the best of arts and culture in public radio form. Host Jesse Thorn sifts the wheat from the chaff to bring you in-depth interviews with the most revered and revolutionary minds in our culture.
Bullseye has been featured in Time, The New York Times, GQ and McSweeney’s, which called it “the kind of show people listen to in a more perfect world.” Since April 2013, the show has been distributed by NPR.
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