I have always loved Dolly Parton. I realize I am not alone in this—we all know the woman is a national treasure — but as a Tennessee native, I'll admit she has always been a bit of a guiding light for this small-town girl with big aspirations. And never more so than when I talked with her a few years ago about her family traditions—including one with Carl Dean, her husband of nearly sixty years.
As you can imagine, I have visited Dollywood on multiple occasions, listened to the Dolly Parton's America podcast, played "Wildflowers" for my children more times than you could count, and will certainly be the first in line at her new musical. (When she gave the 2009 commencement speech at the University of Tennessee, my alma mater, I was ridiculously jealous of the graduating class.)
I have also had the distinct pleasure of hearing her soothing Southern drawl over the telephone. Now I've interviewed plenty of boldfaced names in my lifetime—from Britney Spears to Barack Obama—but I can tell you here's nothing quite like hearing a publicist say "Okay, Dolly is now on the line."
She could not have been more delightful, but what struck me most was how she talked about Carl Dean. Frankly, we don't hear much about Carl, but during our chat she mentioned a tradition she shared with him that has always stayed with me. Instead of exchanging gifts during the holidays—what do you get Dolly, after all?!—she said she and Carl like "to keep it simple" and exchange poems.
I thought about how beautiful it was that someone of her poetic prowess had found someone to share something so personal—and who could return it in kind. She's shared her lyrics with the world, but there's something so refreshing about the fact that someone who lives so publicly understands that certain sentiments are better left private. Then again, of course she does. She's Dolly.
Rachel Hardage Barrett has written for and edited lifestyle publications for more than 20 years. As the editor-in-chief of Country Living, she has covered all things related to country life—including design, gardening, food, travel, antiques, crafts, and country pop culture—for more than a decade. Before Country Living, Rachel spent several years at Southern Living, where she served as Executive Editor covering travel, food, style, and features. Before Southern Living, Rachel was the Special Projects Director of Real Simple, where she wrote and oversaw books and special issues about food, travel, weddings, organizing, and parenting in addition to working on international editions and licensed products. Before working at lifestyle brands, Rachel started her magazine career at Glamour, where she wrote and edited relationship articles, celebrity interviews, as well as fashion and features content. When she’s not working on the magazine, she can likely be found poking around an antiques shop, perusing country real estate listings, or dreaming of opening a general store.
