Dolly Parton Says She’s ‘Proud’ of Taylor Swift, Thinks CMAs Didn’t Snub Beyoncé ‘on Purpose’

The country legend also praised Cowboy Carter as a “wonderful album.”

Dolly Parton speaks onstage during Kicking Off CMA Fest: A Special Conversation With Dolly Parton Hosted By Rachel Smith at Music City Center on June 6, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Dolly Parton has nothing but fondness for the world’s biggest country-dabbling pop stars: Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.

In a new interview with Variety published Tuesday (Sept. 17), the 78-year-old country legend gushed about both superstars as well as weighed in on the CMA Awards snubbing Bey’s Cowboy Carter this season. “Taylor Swift is amazing what she has done with her career,” she said of the “Anti-Hero” singer, who started out as a country artist before transitioning to pop in 2014. “I just admire her very much and how she’s handled her business, her personal life and what all she has meant to so many young people. [She’s] been a great inspiration.”

As for the “Texas Hold ‘Em” musician, Parton thinks Cowboy Carter — which featured a voice recording from the “9 to 5” artist as well as Bey’s cover of “Jolene” — is a “great album” that she was “fortunate” to be a part of. “[Beyoncé’s] a country girl in Texas and Louisiana, so she grew up with that base,” Parton said. “It wasn’t like she just appeared out of nowhere.”

Even so, Parton thinks that the CMAs — which angered fans Sept. 9 by failing to acknowledge Cowboy Carter in any of its 2024 categories — didn’t necessarily shut out the Destiny’s Child alum “on purpose.” “There’s so many wonderful country artists that, I guess probably the country music field, they probably thought, ‘Well, we can’t really leave out some of the ones that spend their whole life doing that,’” Parton told the outlet. “I don’t think it was a matter of shutting out, like, doing that on purpose. I think it was just more of what the country charts and the country artists were doing, that do that all the time, not just a specialty album.”

“But it was a wonderful album,” Parton added. “She can be very, very proud … I think everybody in country music welcomed her and thought that, that was good.”

The 10-time Grammy winner also added that she’s “open to anything” when it comes to performing “Jolene” with Beyoncé at some point in the future. And whether it’s the “Break My Soul” singer or Swift — or any of the newer female singers finding success, such as Chappell Roan or Sabrina Carpenter — Parton says she’s “proud of all the gals.”

“I’m old enough to feel like their aunt or somebody that’s kind of looking down and saying, ‘Yay, you go!’” she added. “I think they’re all great in their own way.”