Why Dolly Parton Once Said Stars Should Go out and Have Fun Despite Being ‘Scared to Death Somebody Is Going to Kill Them’
Dolly Parton has been in the spotlight for several decades. At 75 years old, Parton has made a name for herself as a singer, actor, and philanthropist. In a 1984 interview with Interview Magazine, Parton shared her thoughts on celebrities retreating from the public eye and insisted that celebrities needed to live their life without being “scared to death somebody is going to kill them.”
Dolly Parton thinks celebrities should not be ‘trapped’
Parton’s 1984 interview with Interview Magazine was published in the 2017 book, Dolly on Dolly: Interviews and Encounters with Dolly Parton. In the interview, Parton shared her thoughts on celebrities’ public lives.
According to Dolly on Dolly, Parton told Interview in 1984:
“I go to eat, I go to the clubs, I love to get out and have fun. I’ll never let myself get trapped. I think that one of the bad things that stars do, that deprives them of a real life of their very own, is they won’t get out. They’re scared to death somebody is going to kill them, to kidnap them. I think you have to be aware and alert, that’s only smart, but I think when you close yourself off … When I was sick those 18 months I got to where I didn’t feel like I looked great, but then I thought, I’ve got to stop this because I love people. I want to be out there. I’d rather take a chance. If they couldn’t protect the president of the U.S. and the great leaders of the world that have been shot and killed, how do I think they’re going to protect me.”
The singer has a gun ‘for protection’
In the 1984 interview, Parton also revealed that she is comfortable using a gun and defending herself. At the time of the interview, the singer admitted she owned one “for protection.”
“I do [carry a gun], because I’m a mountain person. We grew up in the mountains where you just have guns around… So guns were not foreign to me, and being a young woman in the world by myself I know how to shoot one and I know how to handle it,” Parton told Interview according to Dolly on Dolly.
She continued, “It’s not that I’m really into weapons, it’s mostly just for protection. But then the press made such a to-do that I really don’t say anymore whether I do or don’t. I just say, don’t mess with me.”
Dolly Parton has never been concerned with losing fans
While speaking with Interview Magazine in 1984, Parton also discussed how she felt about losing fans at the time. Even though the idea had crossed her mind, Parton admitted it was not a concern of hers.
“I think about [losing fans], but I don’t worry about it. I think this could all end tomorrow. That’s all the more reason that I’m grateful, but I would be a star wherever I was. Being a star just means that you just find your own special place and that you shine where you are,” Parton told Interview.
