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By Michaela Gordoni
Dolly Parton just turned 80, but according to her, it’s no big deal.
“People say, ‘Well, you’re going to be 80 years old.’ Well, so what? Look at all I’ve done in 80 years. I feel like I’m just getting started,” the “Jolene” singer said.
“I know that sounds stupid, but unless my health gives way, which right now I seem to be doing fine,” added Parton.
In the fall of last year, Parton delayed her Las Vegas residency due to health issues. She later gave an update that she was “okay” and told fans, “I love you for caring, and keep praying for me.”
“If you allow yourself to get old, you will. I say, ‘I ain’t got time to get old!’ I ain’t got time to dwell on that. That’s not what I’m thinking about,” she told PEOPLE.
Related: Dolly Parton Celebrates 77th Birthday With New Spiritual Song: ‘It’s Special To Me’
Parton is proud of everything she’s accomplished.
“Not that anybody would want to celebrate that, but there is a celebration in the fact that I have done so much in that time and that I’m still doing it,” she noted.
And she has accomplished a lot: 25 No. 1 hits, 21 RIAA certified hits and a few books and movies.
She added, “I don’t know what I’m going to be doing tomorrow. Whatever comes, I’ll give it my best.”
“I got to see my dreams come true,” she said.
On Jan. 19, Reba McEntire shared photos with Parton going back years. She said, “Happy 80th Birthday to the one and only, @DollyParton! I love you to pieces and I’m so thankful for all these years of memories we’ve shared. Can’t wait to make many more together! 🦋💙”
Billy Ray Cyrus told her, “Happy Birthday Dolly! You’re a reminder of what music is supposed to do… bring people together, lift spirits, and tell the truth with heart. As Miley’s godmother and a guiding light in our lives, your influence goes far beyond the charts… it lives in the lives she’s touched and the generations of fans she’s inspired.”
Ahead of her birthday, she released a new version of her 1977 song, “Light of a Clear Blue Morning.” The hit includes voices from Lainey Wilson, Queen Latifah, Reba McEntire and Miley Cyrus. It also features famed David Foster on piano and The Christ Church Choir, CNN reported.
“Originally written and recorded 50 years ago in 1976 during a period of personal transition and renewed optimism, ‘Light of a Clear Blue Morning’ has long stood as one of Dolly’s most inspirational works,” Parton’s website reads. “Now, five decades later, Dolly revisits the song for a new generation with a powerhouse lineup of female voices.”
Proceeds from the song and music video will be donated to pediatric cancer research at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee.
Read Next: ‘I Appreciate Your Prayers’: Dolly Parton Addresses Health Concerns
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