Dolly Parton promises country music won't go away as she grapples with the current state of the genre

Country music once consisted of stars like Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline and Waylon Jennings. But like any genre, music began to change over the decades. In country music today, singers like Lainey Wilson, Morgan Wallen and Jelly Roll are leading the way for future generations. Although the genre ushers in a new era of country music, it still features acts like Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton. For Dolly, she not only witnessed the evolution of country music, she also helped shape the genre. And while some may not like the direction country music is headed, Dolly promised that the genre will always exist.

Sit down with Elle To discuss her expansive career in country music, Dolly spoke about the growth of the genre in recent years. Seeing the change, the icon said, “I will always love country music. I love all the days of Hank Williams and all the early, early days. George Jones and of course Merle Haggard, all these wonderful artists of that time. Everything has to change, and country music has changed a lot.”

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Dolly Parton is proud of what country music has achieved

Dolly wasn't afraid of the future and explained how the past helped inspire future singers in country music. “There will always be those young guys who take a cue from Hank Williams and go back and do some of that.”

Aside from the massive changes in country music, Dolly also pointed out how the genre was perceived. “Country music used to be considered an old, cheesy style of music. I love the fact that it is now one of the most popular pieces of music in the world.”

Although Dolly was excited about the future, she was hopeful about the timelessness of country music. “I'm just proud to say that we still have country music, we still love it and they still call it country music even though it sounds more like rock and pop. Country music will always exist in one form or another. I’ll make sure of it as long as I live.”

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