Star of the Show: My Life on Stage

by Dolly Parton, Tom Roland (Editor)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Dolly is back! Part three of her photographic memoir collection brings more of Dolly’s magnetic personality and fascinating life to the spotlight. With personal, behind-the-scenes stories and accompanying photos, this celebration of a universal superstar is a party on the page.

A stunning celebration of Dolly Parton’s iconic career as a performer, featuring entertaining personal stories alongside more than 500 full-color photographs, including exclusive images and ephemera from her archive, and an eight-page gatefold listing her lifetime of performances.

In Star of the Show, the culminating book in Dolly Parton’s photographic trilogy—following Songteller (lyrics) and Behind the Seams (fashion)—the global superstar finally shares a definitive look at her career as one of the world’s most dazzling and beloved performers.

Featuring engaging stories and memories from Parton’s dynamic life behind the microphone, this book spotlights her signature performances and star-making moments, from singing in front of her family to premiering on the Grand Ole Opry stage and beyond. Her formative years performing with country legend Porter Wagoner are chronicled as she learns hard lessons from life on the road. Breaking out on her own at state fairs and critically acclaimed venues, she toured the world performing for millions of fans in arenas, stadiums, and at festivals. From making her onscreen debut in the blockbuster feature film 9 to 5 to playing the Dallas Cowboys’ 2023 Thanksgiving halftime show to 42 million viewers, this global superstar knows no limits. Along the way, Dolly shares the stage with Kenny Rogers, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, and others, while offering insight on touring big, singing strong, and staying on top for seven decades.

Brimming with Parton’s trademark wit and heartfelt sincerity, Star of the Show: My Life on Stage is not only an homage to one of history’s most cherished artists, but also a must-have collector’s item for—and love letter to—any fan of the one and only Dolly Parton.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781984863133
Publisher:	Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed
Publication date:	11/11/2025
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	12.10(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Dolly Parton is the most honored and revered female singer-songwriter of all time. She has garnered eleven Grammy Awards and fifty-five nominations, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1999, Parton was inducted into the coveted Country Music Hall of Fame, and in 2022, she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She is the author of multiple bestselling books, including Songteller; Run, Rose, Run (with James Patterson); Behind the Seams; and Good Lookin’ Cookin’. To date, Parton has donated over 270 million books to children around the world with her Imagination Library.

Tom Roland is the editor of the Billboard Country Update and founder of the country music database RolandNote. He’s authored two books, The Billboard Book of #1 Country Hits and Beautiful Mess: The Story of Diamond Rio, and has written for The Tennessean, The Hollywood Reporter, The Orange County Register, and Westwood One, winning the CMA Media Achievement Award in 2018.

Read an Excerpt

Introduction

So 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

Editorial Reviews

“A visual feast. . . . A beautifully curated collection of career-spanning photos and also an entertaining and encyclopedic catalog of Parton’s unstoppable work ethic.”—Library Journal, starred review

“A photo-filled career retrospective from one of country music’s biggest icons . . . Parton spins entertaining stories of performing from tiny venues to huge arenas. . . . This book is suffused with joy and gratitude; it’s a wonderful look back at a remarkable career: What a way to make a living, indeed.”—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher