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Dolly Parton will relive legendary moments in her decades-spanning career in her new book.
Parton announced Star of the Show: My Life on Stage on Thursday (April 17). She said it’s “a celebration of my journey as a performer, filled with personal stories, cherished memories, and never-before-seen photos from more than seven decades on stage.” Star of the Show: My Life on Stage will release on November 11.
The upcoming book marks the end of Parton’s “photographic trilogy,” following 2020’s Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics and 2023’s Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones. Those books focus on Parton’s timeless lyrics and iconic fashion moments, respectively. Star of the Show will expand on “engaging stories and memories from Parton’s dynamic life behind the microphone,” including “signature performances and star-making moments.” Readers will take a look back at Parton’s debut on the historic Grand Ole Opry stage, her legendary performances with Porter Wagoner, her blockbuster onscreen debut in 9 to 5, donning a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader-inspired look at the 2023 Thanksgiving Day halftime show, and more. The book will also feature Parton’s onstage moments with fellow music icons Kenny Rogers, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris and others, notes the description of the book.
“Brimming with Parton’s trademark wit and heartfelt sincerity, Star of the Show: My Life on Stage is not only an homage to one of history’s most cherished artists, but also a must-have collector’s item for—and love letter to—any fan of the one and only Dolly Parton,” Parton’s website states.
The beloved country artist has published many other books over the years, including children’s books, last year’s Good Lookin' Cookin' (a cook book Parton wrote with her sister, Rachel Parton George), 2022’s Run, Rose, Run (a novel co-written with bestselling author James Patterson and released with a companion album), and more.
Parton is also sharing a unique glimpse of her life in Dolly: An Original Musical, her autobiographical Broadway show. The original production is set to make its debut this summer at The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. It will head to New York City in 2026. Parton said earlier this year that she’s “always wanted to do my life story as a musical, and I just thought that I wanted to see it done while I’m still around to be able to oversee it and make sure that it’s done properly, in a way that I would want to see it, rather than to wait ’til I’m gone and let somebody else decide how they thing it should be done. So, I thought that this was something I needed to do, and certainly wanted to do.” Dolly: An Original Musical will include new music, plus Parton’s career-spanning classics like “I Will Always Love You,” “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” and “9 to 5.”