IntroductionSo many miles, so many smiles.
So many years, so many tears.
So many memories that have made up my life on the road and on the stage.
All of my life, I have had a dream in my heart and a gleam in my eye, whether it be a sparkle concerning the dream or the actual spotlight itself. Either way, I’m comfortable with the light shining on me. It was my dream to be a star from the time I was old enough to wish upon one.
I wish I may, I wish I might, become the star I wish tonight. One day, those wishes and dreams all came true and, of course, I owe it all to God and to you, the fans, and to all the people along the way who have polished and buffed my star to make sure that I could always keep shining.
Looking in from the outside, one tends to believe that the life of a star is always easy and beautiful. People have no earthly idea of the sacrifices that must be made along the way to make dreams and wishes come true. I have paid my dues. Believe me, I have.
I’ve sacrificed time with family and friends.
I gave up vacations for work without end.
24/7, 365.
But I was willing to make the sacrifice.
Empty or full, I’ve carried my pail.
You don’t drink the water if you don’t dig the well. Grindstones and rhinestones have made up my life, and you ask, was it worth the sacrifice?
Well, I reckon it was, because here I am, willing and ready to take you on a journey through my journals of dates and spaces, names and places, detailed information about how I came to be the star of the show.
Dolly
Copyright © 2025 by Dolly Parton with Tom Roland. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
