By BARBARA SIMPSON
Anyone who has paid any attention at all to show business and the people in it knows that religion often has no visible place in their work. If they practice any religious beliefs in their lives, they tend to keep the details to themselves.
There is a good reason for that. Generally, people don’t like to be “preached at.” When they are considering entertainment, they want just that — to be entertained and leave the issue of religion and God and preaching at home and private.
I must admit, I generally agree with that, so when I saw and read about the interview that country music star Dolly Parton gave to Fox News, I was surprised and pleasantly so. In the interview she said, “My faith impacts everything that I do because I do believe that, through God, all things are possible.”
She continued, “And so I always ask God to bless everything that I do and the people that I work with and to bring all the right things and right people into my life and to take the wrong ones out.”
Parton has been in the spotlight for decades — the 77-year-old has no intention to slow down — writing songs, producing albums, and doing live performances.
She continued: “So, I try to just live through love as much as I can. And so I just think that my spirituality has been a guiding light in my life and my strength, really, in my creative energy. And my spiritual energy has really been a great force to keep me going all these years and still being productive.”
Back in 2018, Dolly Parton said a belief in God is “essential” and she hasn’t changed that a bit. “You have to believe in something bigger than yourself. We grew up believing that through God all things are possible.” She said she talks about her faith because “that’s who I am. That’s what keeps me going.”
And she doesn’t stop. In January of this year, she released a new song Don’t Make Me Have to Come Down There. She said the song came to her in a dream about God and she felt compelled to record and release it. She said that it was special to her.
Perhaps you have been out driving around and seen the new billboard featuring Dolly Parton which says, “Find the Good in Everybody . . . Kindness: Pass It On!”
Visit www.passiton.com for more about this.
Dolly Parton uses the glitz and glamour of show business in her clothes and makeup, but her life has been scandal free. She said she has no desire to be worshiped by fans. Seeing that, she said, “makes her cringe.” But she said, if she can set an example for people, that’s what she wants.
She was asked what advice she would give her younger self — and her reasoning reflects her general life attitude.
“Well, I would just tell her to buckle up. You’re in for the ride of your life. I do still have my little self, inside me. I never forget who I am, where I came from, how I felt, what I wanted as a child or what I dreamed and hoped for. So, I always try to stay in touch with that little girl.”
Despite all the glitz and show biz aspects of her life and career, Dolly Parton says she tries to “keep a child’s take on things,” and not focus on doomsday thoughts.
She continued: “Of course, I know I’m old enough to die, but I’m not ready to, and I don’t live my life thinking of that. I figure I’ll go when it’s time. I hope it’s easy, but in the meantime, I’ll go to work until I go, however that is.”
I don’t know about you. But reading that philosophy of life from such a talented and successful show business star, warms my heart and makes me more a fan of hers than ever before.
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