Country music icon Dolly Parton has been offered seats on American Idol and The Voice judging panels, and she is now talking about why she never takes the gigs. Dolly is a singer, songwriter, philanthropist, and businesswoman. She released her first album in 1967, and since then, Dolly has sold more than 100 million records worldwide. She is one of the best-selling artists of all-time. Dolly has written over 3,000 songs, but her most famous are the classics, "I Will Always Love You," "9 to 5," and, "Jolene."
Dolly has made appearances as a mentor on American Idol and The Voice. In 2008, American Idol dedicated a night to the country music icon, with the top nine contestants singing her most beloved hits. Dolly mentored the finalists, including eventual winner David Cook and runner-up David Archuleta, but she chose not to judge their performances. She said that she could not criticize somebody else's singing. In 2015, Dolly served as a mentor to The Voice semi-finalists, but she's never been a coach.
Dolly Parton Turns Down American Idol & The Voice Every Season
In an interview with Taste of Country, Dolly revealed, "I get asked every season to be on." However, she always turns down the offers to be an American Idol judge, or coach on The Voice. She explained, "I really have trouble judging people. I would have a lot of trouble telling them yes or no - especially no." Dolly shared that she will sometimes appear on reality singing competitions, such as American Idol or The Voice, as a mentor, adding that she gets offers, "all the time."
Dolly Loves Watching American Idol & The Voice Contestants Sing Her Songs
Although Dolly does not want to judge American Idol or The Voice, she is a fan of both shows. She said that the shows give the contestants, "a great jumpstart" for their music careers, because, "anybody's that's that good, some record label or some manager's gonna pick them up." She loves watching the reality singing competitions from home, and enjoys when the contestants sing her songs. She shared, "I love the fact that a lot of them do use different songs like 'I Will Always Love You,' 'Jolene' or '9 to 5.' I hear a lot of my songs on there. That's a great treat."
Dolly Parton Hates To See American Idol & The Voice Contestants Lose
Dolly admitted that it is hard for her to watch American Idol and The Voice contestants get eliminated from the competitions. She said, "I just always hate to see them lose, even though I'm very proud of the ones that win, and they deserve it, because the public will vote on that." Dolly added, "But I just feel their little hearts. And I just hate it when they don't win cause I know how they feel."
Dolly Parton Wants To Create Her Own Reality Singing Show
Dolly revealed that she has a vision for creating a televised singing show that does not involve sending contestants home. She hopes to some day launch a show like American Idol or The Voice, but put her own spin on it. She shared that she is starting her own television network, and she will, "probably will do something like [American Idol or The Voice] in the future." She went on to say, "I'll probably be doing different things at different times, and maybe create a show where it could be positive. Although those are fantastic shows. I love watching it. I would just have trouble being a judge of somebody's talent."
Dolly is not only one of the most talented and influential music artists of all time, but she is also one of the kindest. Her gentle guidance of American Idol and The Voice contestants has pushed them to new heights. Her unwillingness to judge the contestants shows how special she is, because she doesn't want to do anything to discourage their dreams. Her idea of having a reality singing show in which no one is eliminated is a wonderful way to help new artists achieve success. Dolly is a true legend with a heart of gold.
Sources: Taste of Country, angelangiedc/YouTube