Country superstar Dolly Parton may have become a household name, but another legendary icon was charming enough to captivate her heart when she was younger. And it’s no other than the “The Man in Black” singer, Johnny Cash.
During an interview on Nightline back in 2012, Parton talked about her childhood in the Smoky Mountains while growing up around eleven siblings and her inspiration throughout her singing career. She shared that when she attended the Grand Ole’ Opry and saw Cash that time. She couldn’t help but be enamored by the lovely man’s presence.
“I was sitting in the audience, and that’s when I first knew about sex appeal, someone striking and made me feel something inside.” Parton recalled, “He had this tick when he moved his shoulder… and it was still sexy. It still got to me.”
As an adolescent who was experiencing growth spurts at the time, Parton further explained in her book Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics, “I was thirteen years old. Johnny Cash introduced me, and I thought he was the sexiest thing that ever was. That’s when I first felt hormones raging. It was his charisma and me being a growing girl. It was the first time a man had ever made me feel like a woman.”
The songstress learned about Cash after he rose to stardom in the music industry. She became close to the icon until they developed a professional friendship that anyone is lucky enough to have. With a supportive crush behind, anything feels possible.
“Johnny is a great songwriter,” Parton stated. “A lot of people don’t realize how serious his songs are… he was like the John Wayne of country music. He didn’t claim to be a great singer and his range and all that was not spectacular, but when he did it, you just believed it every bit. He just was great at what he did. He was a great storyteller.”
Johnny Cash leaning against the wall, Dolly Parton looking gorgeous. Taken circa 1967.
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On September 12, 2003, Cash died from complications of diabetes at age 71.
Although Parton admired everything the icon did, she pointed out that “I Walk the Line” was one of her favorite Cash songs. His magnetism left a huge impression on her that he had ‘stirred things she had never felt before.’
Since then, Parton has carved her own path to the Country Music Hall of Fame, where she has received many accolades over the past decades. With “Jolene,” “Love Is Like a Butterfly,” and “I Will Always Love You” under her belt, the Queen of Country has become an influential figure in the entertainment scene.
