Dolly Parton Reveals Her Childhood Revolved Around 'God, Music And Food'

Dolly Parton recently opened up about her childhood during a chat with her sister, Rachel Parton George, about their new cookbook.

The country music legend revealed that their lives revolved around their faith, food, and music growing up. Parton connects cooking with songwriting, noting that her best songs often come while she is cooking.

Their upcoming album, "Dolly Parton & Family: Smoky Mountain DNA," will be released on November 15, 2024, and features a collaboration on the track "I Will Know."

During an interview with Allrecipes, Parton and her younger sister, George, shared a glimpse into their upbringing.

The inspiration behind their cookbook, "Good Lookin' Cookin," revolves around the three aspects that shaped their family life.

"God, music, and food were the three big things in our family," Parton explained, per Fox News Digital.

The cookbook, filled with Southern-style recipes, also includes heartwarming memories from their childhood. For the "Jolene" hitmaker, the flavors of home are deeply connected to her mother's cooking.

"I think home tastes like Mama," she reflected. "I think you always link those childhood memories with certain childhood foods that you love and the people that prepare them for you."

She added, "I cook more like Mama — a handful of this, a handful of that. Rachel is also very creative, but she wants to make sure it's going to taste good, too — she's not as sloppy as I am."

Parton shared that her passion for cooking and music has always intertwined.

"It's just being creative, like writing a song," she said. "Some of my best songs I came up with while cooking my best food, and vice versa. The better I write, the better I cook."

Parton and George's upcoming cookbook features recipes for Hot Wing Dip, Family Favorite Meatloaf, Slaw of Many Colors, Light My Fire Banana Foster, and Fried Chicken and Gravy.

When asked which of her songs she associates with her Hot Wing Dip, Parton chose "Jolene." She explained, "Oh, something spicy — like our Hot Wing Dip. That woman was just hungry for my man. It's not in the cookbook, but it's in the song."

Parton's upcoming album, "Dolly Parton & Family: Smoky Mountain DNA – Family, Faith & Fables," is set for release on November 15, 2024, three months after its first announcement.

This album traces the musical heritage of the Parton family from their 1600s roots in the UK to their current home in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee.

It includes a collaboration between Parton and her youngest sister, George, on the track "I Will Know."

Originally written by Parton George and Patricia Roberts as an acoustic demo four decades ago, the song has been re-arranged for this release to showcase both sisters' voices.

A press statement noted: "These recordings not only celebrate the musical legacy but also the deep familial bonds and cultural traditions that have shaped their lives. Through this release, audiences will discover the treasured heritage preserved and echoed in the music and vibrant culture of Appalachia."

In June, Parton announced plans to bring her show "Hello, I'm Dolly" to Broadway with new songs alongside her classic hits. She is also co-writing a musical based on her life, aiming for a Broadway debut in 2026.

"I've written many original songs for the show and included all your favorites in it as well. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll clap, you'll stomp, it truly is a Grand Ol' Opera. Pun and fun intended," she said, per Fox News Digital.

Parton's music has previously graced Broadway with the 2009 adaptation of "9 to 5" and her song "With Bells On" in the 1993 Christmas special "Candles, Snow & Mistletoe."

Parton has become a national icon since her breakthrough on "The Porter Wagoner Show" in 1967. She has earned multiple Grammy awards, written books, and contributed $1 million to coronavirus research.

Parton has been married to Carl Thomas Dean for 57 years, implying that they were together even before she became famous and started topping charts worldwide.

The singer shared all about meeting him in her documentary, "Dolly Parton: In Her Own Words."

She said, "When I first moved to Nashville in 1964, I was doing dirty laundry because I was in such a hurry to move to Nashville from my home in East Tennessee, which was 200 miles away."

"I'd never been in a laundromat before. I walked outside, and there was this good-looking man that drove by the wishy-washy laundromat. And he pulled over to the side. So we started talking, and we married two years later," Parton added.