Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics

By Dolly Parton

Narrated by Dolly Parton

A Recorded Books Audio Original production of songs and stories performed by Dolly herself, Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics goes beyond the glitz, glamour, and rhinestones to the warmth, heart, and soul of a treasured pop-culture icon.

In this exclusive audio performance, the ten-time Grammy Award–winning artist weaves her words with music and memories to give listeners the stories behind the stories of her most cherished songs. And with some 3,000 songs to her credit, Dolly uses her gift for lyrics to connect to people of all genders, generations, and geographies.

Showcasing nearly 100 of her most popular songs, including “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You,” “9 to 5,” and “Coat of Many Colors,” to name a few, this one-of-a-kind audio experience delivers answers to fans’ most burning questions: How close did Dolly come to singing “I Will Always Love You” as a duet with Elvis? How did she become an actress? And exactly who was Jolene?

Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics is a must-have memoir for fans of country music, music history, and (of course!) Dolly herself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 17, 2020
• ISBN: 9781980072157

Reviews for Dolly Parton, Songteller

[Carrie Elizabeth · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Not quite a book but I quite enjoyed learning more about Dolly and learning that she has deep spiritual understanding. There are many wise and useful quotes from this that I wish to share with my children.

[Yasir Albaddry · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book , enjoyed it very much . Thank u

[Mr Broderick · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It felt like she was talking just to me loved it

[Shirlee Oneal · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love how Dolly review s songs she has written and the stories behind the. Dolly is an awesome narrator. A fun feel good book!♥️

[Amy Aube · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I like this biography a lot more than I was expecting.

I listened to it on audiobook and it was a good choice, because I got a lot more meaning out of listening to her voice than I would have reading it on the page. I was almost like listening to a series of interviews. Overall, I thought it was very interesting.

[Ava Dbrg · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I just love that woman and I'm glad I heard her stories ! She's an amazing lyricist and the book is fascinating

[Däsha Miller Millson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great stories and music! Hearing the reasons behind the songs was pretty cool. It was kind of a weird format. There was an announcer/narrator interspersed with Dolly's stories. It was like a conversation where neither could hear the other. Maybe it was recorded during covid? Really great playlist on Spotify though! 9 hrs of all the music discussed in the book.

[Larissa Vin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely love Dolly. This audiobook is Dolly speaking in interview style, so it’s so easy and enjoyable to listen to. Young people who want to learn what it takes to be successful — listen the wisdom in this book!

[LyndaCrossMaides · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

We love this Lady so much and to hear her tell the story of each song in her own words made each of them come to life and share their true meaning. I live in Sevierville TN and we adore our Dolly! She has proven her love of home and family time and time again.

[Bridget Santamaria · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

She is probably the most amazing woman of today. God has clearly been with her as she has such a humble and loving heart. Love her!

[Mary · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent. Dolly is a tonic. Very entertaining and insightful too.

[Sylvia · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So good! Dolly is so funny, I could listen to her stories all day.

[Jahel Corbán Caldera · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was more of a podcast/5 hour long interview with Dolly than a book and I’m ok with that. I just don’t really understand how it works as a paperback.

As someone who barely knew anything about her this was pretty informative and entertaining. She is a true icon.

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This review is on the audio version of this memoir, performed by Dolly Parton. This rendition is more like an interview than a reading of the material. It has a lead-in comment by an unnamed interviewer before Dolly comments on the history of the song. It is interesting to learn of the background of the many, many songs she has written. We learn about her spiritual beliefs, a little about her family and her husband, and her working relationships with some of the other country singers she has performed with. She also talks about the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which gives away well over one million books each month to kids from birth to school age. It was created and established by Dolly as a tribute to her father, a man who, though quite intelligent, never learned to read because he dropped out of school to work. It’s interesting to listen to Dolly talk about the songs, about the ones that were hits and the ones that weren’t, although she she seems to like them all, and has many favorites. She comes across as a genuinely nice person, down to earth, and not puffed up but a loving soul. The audio version also includes snippets of several songs, which adds to the enjoyment of the book.

[thanesh_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a great audiobook to listen to, narrated by Dolly herself which I really enjoyed. As a music lover of all types of music Dolly is a song writing force to be reckoned with. Her songs spanned so many years, decades even and has been sang not only by herself but so many well known artists even today she still remains relevant particularly in the country music fraternity. The format of the audiobook is one of an interview on her music, the song she wrote, the people she worked with snippets of her music intertwined which makes for great listening. I really enjoyed how she explains her song writing process and how she takes an idea and then builds it out into a poem or song and then the music compilation. She certainly has worked with the whos who in the music industry and I enjoyed the snippets of information that she shared about her experiences working with these folks from Goldie Hawn to Porter Wagoner to Kenny Rogers it all makes for very interesting listening. Take a listen and you will benefit from the wisdom and beauty that is Dolly.

[carleyshea · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I listened to the audiobook and I think the print version was probably transcribed from the audio, instead of the audiobook being made after the print was written. It sounds kind of like a long Dolly Parton interview about each of her songs with instances of a narrator clarifying bits of information. There’s not really a rolling theme or story. It’s interesting, but I think probably works best as the audiobook. I’m interested to know how they edited down her replies into the book version though.

[mickyfine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As an audiobook this is a collection of interviews in which Dolly discusses the stories and influences behind 100 of her songs, often with snippets of the songs discussed included. If you like Dolly, you'll like the audiobook and that's really all there is to it. I will be picking up the physical book to skim at some point to see how they compare as I'd imagine they're very different reading experiences.

[msf59 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I like country music and love the classic stuff. I never owned a Dolly Parton album but I have always admired her and definitely liked more than a few of her songs. I also did not realize how deep her song writing chops were, until I listened to this delightful memoir, told through her songs, spanning an impressive six decades.

[ecataldi-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Discover the rich history behind over 150 Dolly Parton songs in this wonderfully compiled book of history, quotes, interviews, photos, and more. Dolly Parton is an American icon and this book pays wonderful tribute to her over sixty years of songwriting and singing. Told through Dolly's own voice (transcribed interviews and quotes), fans will delight in getting the back story to many of their favorite and forgotten gems. From Jolene to I Will Always Love You to The Coat of Many Colors - Dolly discusses the inspiration behind the story in each song. Dolly may not be a traditional storyteller - but she prides herself on being a lifelong song teller. As a bonus, the audiobook version is completely narrated by Dolly and is an absolute joy to listen to. This collection is a must for fans of Dolly and for those interested in country music history.

[beamis12 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A truly remarkable lady. Her talents in songwriting, how far she has come on her own talent and moxie, amazing. One of twelve children, raised in an Appalachian cabin with few amenities, her family didn't have much in the way of material things. They were, however, rich in love, family and music. Her songs all tell a story, many based on actual people. She has written for and song with many country notables.I started out reading this, able to get a copy from Hoopla, but when I saw the song lyrics I bought the audible. I read along, the audio in Dolly's voice, listening to her sing some of the verses of her songs, but able to see all the pictures, of which there were many, in the Hoopla copy. Warning though, it's a trade off, the book doesn't follow the audio, more in contained in the book, but together they were perfect. The format on audio is a interviewer, interviewed type of narrative. Dolly does discuss her life, her family, her husband, her career and why she wrote each song. It was fun, interesting and a perfect first read, listen to 2021. The bad part, I had the song Jolene stuck in my head for most of yesterday.