LAWRENCE FERBER

Photo by Dennis Darney

Dolly Parton takes us back to the good ol’ days—and not-sogood ol’ days—on Those Were The Days (Sugar Hill Records). With an assortment of good pals like Kris Kristofferson and Norah Jones, Dolly invites us to join a retro hootenanny both bouncy (“Twelfth of Never”) and poignant (“Imagine”). We chatted up the brains and bust behind some 3,000 songs, classic flicks like 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias, and Tennessee’s Dollywood theme park.

Is this album your John Lennon moment?

Actually, I always loved that song, “Imagine,” and The Beatles. John would be turning 65 this year. I just loved his nature. But I love Paul McCartney’s songs as well.

Cat Stevens, who changed his name to Yusuf Islam when he converted to Islam, wrote and plays guitar on “Where Do The Children Play.” Last year U.S. security yanked him off a Washington-bound flight. What was all that?

That was bullshit! They had his name on some list and found out later it was a different person. But the government didn’t go to the trouble to clear his name. He’s out to save the world, not destroy the world! I do a lot for children through the Dollywood Foundation, so I thought it’d be a good idea to do this song.

You’re composing the songs for a Broadway musical of 9 to 5. How’s it coming?

They’ve already accepted 10 of the songs I’ve written and are reworking some stuff. That’s supposed to go into workshop next year, and open on Broadway in 2007. I’ve never done anything like it—it’s a whole new world for me. You get to play act [the characters] when writing these songs, so I’m getting a big kick out of it.

Would you like to see one of the characters played by a drag queen? Incidentally, “I Will Always Love You” has probably been sung by at least 1,000 of them now.

If I hadn’t been born a woman, I would have most definitely been a drag queen! I think it’s cute and fun and a great compliment. I’ve met a lot of the Dolly impersonators and lots and lots of drag queens come to my shows. I change the words to “Jolene” for them —I do (sings) “Drag queen, drag queen, I’m begging of you please don’t take my man.” They get a big kick out of that.

Is it true that you based your look on a local prostitute you admired as a child?

It’s true! You’re impressionable as a child and being brought up in a Pentecostal, holy roller church, you weren’t allowed to wear makeup or shave your legs or any of that kind of stuff. I felt this [prostitute] was absolutely beautiful—she wore short skirts, highheeled shoes, hair piled on top of her head and lipstick and nail polish. Everybody said, “She’s just trash,” but I thought, “That’s what I want to be when I grow up!”

Those Were the Days (Sugar Hill) is in stores now. For info on her Vintage Tour, visit DollyOn-Line.com.

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