Dolly Parton in talks to launch her own 'DollyFest' in Hyde Park

New event? Dolly Parton is looking to launch her own festival in Hyde Park
David Becker/Getty
Alistair Foster22 August 2016
The Weekender

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Dolly Parton says she hopes to curate her own festival in Hyde Park — as long as she can find time in her hectic schedule.

The country singer, 70, revealed she has held preliminary talks about hosting a “DollyFest” in London to follow her acclaimed appearance at Glastonbury in 2014.

Parton, right, has just released her 43rd studio album, Pure & Simple, and has embarked on an extensive US tour, after which she hopes to return to the UK for more live dates.

Asked about DollyFest, she said: “They have been talking to me about that. It would be a wonderful thing to do if I can work it into my schedule.

"I would be very interested. We had been talking about holding it over a few days, having some other artists performing and me topping it off. I don’t really know. But hopefully we can work it out because it’s a really good idea.”

Parton said she was particularly keen after the positive feedback from her Glastonbury appearance, adding: “That was definitely one of the highlights of my career. People are still talking about it over here [in the US].”

She said she wants to return to the UK but a tour would take “six to eight months” to plan.

Pure & Simple is a collection of love songs which Parton says were inspired by her husband Carl Thomas Dean.

She said: “I’m in a real good place and I’m so appreciative of it. I’ve got a good life with my husband. We just celebrated our 50th anniversary, we renewed our vows, it just seemed like we had a good year.”

Parton says her upbeat outlook is simply “the way I was born”. “I’ve been through hard times — I just try to have a positive attitude. I try not to wallow in sorrow when it comes around.”

The singer also said she never intends to give up songwriting, adding: “It’s my therapy. It’s my passion and my job. I will always be writing songs — until I’m sick and old.

"And if I get to sick and old, I’ll probably move on to poetry and keep writing in my rocking chair. The music is alive in me.”

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