Songwriting is my way of channeling my feelings and my thoughts. Not just mine, but the things I see, the people I care about. My head would explode if I didn't get some of that stuff out.

Some guys look better as they get older.

I don't have time to stand around and listen to an 11-minute song.

Living in America and, of course, just being women in general, we've got more strength than we think we do.

Above everything else I've done, I've always said I've had more guts than I've got talent.

Believe it or not, I was just given an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Tennessee.

No, I can't do rap music!

I'm a singer, a writer and an actress - when I find something that I feel good enough about doing.

Never leave a rhinestone unturned.

My first job was singing on the Cas Walker radio show in Knoxville, Tennessee. I was about 10 years old, and I thought it was big time.

If you like good ol' fashion Southern soul food then, yes, I am a good cook! My specialty is chicken dumplings and poke salad.

Sevier County is a great area.

I know that I always wanted things. I was always proud of my people, proud of my home, but I always wanted more. I think most people do.

I still have my first paycheck. It was just, I think, a dollar or two that I got when I started as a songwriter with BMI, and I had some songs there that I had through the company, and in the mail I got this big old check for, like, a dollar and a half or something. Somebody had recorded one of my songs.

I think country music is popular - has been popular and will always be popular because I think a lot of real people singing about a lot of real stuff about real people. And it's simple enough for people to understand it. And we kind of roll with the punches.

I really learned to sing in church, I think, really with emotion.

I used to always sit in church looking out the windows at the boys, wondering if I could make an excuse to go out and, you know, go to the bathroom because all the outdoor toilets. But anyhow, I was only going out to see the boys.

I'm easy to look like, so there are lots and lots of Dolly look-alikes.

I'm a showgirl, as you can tell. I'm ever ready.

My lips, I've used collagen. I line my lips with collagen.

All of my brothers and sisters are very talented. They all sang all right.

I can't keep somebody from being a star, and I can't make somebody a star, and nobody can.

My philosophy is simple: It's a down-home, common, horse-sense approach to things.

Someone once asked me, 'How long does it take to do your hair.' I said, 'I don't know, I'm never there.'

I listen to my old records and I think, 'How did I ever get on the radio?'

I look like a woman, but I think like a man.

I think 9/11 affected everybody in one way or another.

I've never had that much trouble with the paparazzi, but I don't run the same circles that a lot of these people that do get hounded by the paparazzi.

I'm not intimidated by how people perceive me.

I was very honored to get to be part of 'American Idol.'

I love being active.

A lot of people think I'm a comedian.

No matter what, I always make it home for Christmas. I love to go to my Tennessee Mountain Home and invite all of my nieces and nephews and their spouses and kids and do what we all like to do - eat, laugh, trade presents and just enjoy each other... and sometimes I even dress up like Santa Claus!

I know it's corny - but I love 'Jingle Bells!'

I wanted to write a book that talked about the emotions of children, which is the rainbow. We all have moods. We talk about being blue when we're sad, and being yellow when we're cowards, and when we're mad, we're red.

I'm pretty sure in my older years, I'll be doing old-time flavored folk-mountain music.

When I do listen to music, I'm more prone to listen to the people I've always listened to: George Jones, Otis Redding, Alison Krauss and Emmylou Harris.

Tell me I have to be somewhere, and I'll be there 20 minutes early and stay there longer than anybody else. You hold up a lot of people if you're not on time.

I don't think I'm supposed to boss other people around just because I'm a so-called celebrity or star. I hate that when people act that way. No one deserves it. I've seen it happen. I don't call those people out - they know who they are. Some enjoy that reputation.

I know some of the best Dolly Parton jokes. I made 'em up myself.

My best country record only sold 200,000 copies.

My nails are my rhythm section when I'm writing a song all alone. Some day, I may cut an album, just me and my nails.

I walk tall; I got a tall attitude.

My favorite movies of all times is 'Doctor Zhivago,' and I love 'Gone With the Wind.' I'd love to play some Southern belle or something where I owned a plantation.

Being brought up very religious, I have a fear of people that look to idol gods.

Being a star just means that you just find your own special place, and that you shine where you are. To me, that's what being a star means.

A lot of dreams can turn to nightmares... if you don't really work them.

I always loved that old song 'Banks of the Ohio' - it was always such a man's song, so I've always wanted to record it.

There are certainly a lot of things that still need to change when it comes to women in the workforce.

When I was with Andy Warhol, I thought, 'God, his wig looks cheaper than mine!'